Jay Agli died attempting to save Kishana M. Rivera from drowning, Haddam, Connecticut, June 11, 2017.
Rivera, 19, and a girl were struggling to swim back to a submerged sandbar in the cold, swift current of the Connecticut River at a state park. Rivera’s family, including her brother, Jay, 17, high school student of Meriden, Conn., were in knee-high water on the sandbar.
While Rivera called for help, the other girl’s stepfather swam to the girl and, with difficulty, took her to safety. Although Jay could not swim, he left the sandbar and began to move toward Rivera, attempting to reach her, but upon entering deeper water he submerged.
Others, too, entered the river in an attempt to reach Rivera, who floated downstream to a point where those on a boat removed her from the water. Rivera, who swallowed water, was evaluated by paramedics at the scene and recovered.
Authorities employed boats and divers to search the scene and located Jay’s body two days later in 25-foot-deep water in the vicinity of where he was last seen. He had drowned.
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