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Boy, 14, celebrating end of school dies in surf off Rockaways
By Dan Mccarthy AND Edgar Sandoval / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Updated: Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 4:06 AM
AN END-OF-SCHOOL celebration led to tragedy in Far Rockaway Tuesday when a 14-year-old boy who couldn’t swim drowned — despite his best friend’s frantic efforts to rescue him.
“I can’t believe it,” grieving mom Raquel Williams said of her son, Akeem Craig, who had just completed his freshman year at August Martin High School.
Craig and his pals ran to the beach after their last day of school. They waded into the ocean near Beach 19th St., ignoring a no-swimming warning. Craig fell at a dropoff and went under — and there were no lifeguards on duty in that area. <span style="font-weight: bold">His best buddy, Akeem Morris, who also can’t swim, tried to pull him out, but was unsuccessful, said Morris’ mom, Desrene Stephens, 34.</span>
Morris called 911 once ashore. Rescue divers couldn’t find Craig for almost 40 minutes because they had such a large area to scour, officials said. Firefighters pulled the unconscious boy out of the water about 1:15 p.m., but he couldn’t be revived.
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Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/quee...3#ixzz1xpOhrqAU
By Dan Mccarthy AND Edgar Sandoval / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Updated: Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 4:06 AM
AN END-OF-SCHOOL celebration led to tragedy in Far Rockaway Tuesday when a 14-year-old boy who couldn’t swim drowned — despite his best friend’s frantic efforts to rescue him.
“I can’t believe it,” grieving mom Raquel Williams said of her son, Akeem Craig, who had just completed his freshman year at August Martin High School.
Craig and his pals ran to the beach after their last day of school. They waded into the ocean near Beach 19th St., ignoring a no-swimming warning. Craig fell at a dropoff and went under — and there were no lifeguards on duty in that area. <span style="font-weight: bold">His best buddy, Akeem Morris, who also can’t swim, tried to pull him out, but was unsuccessful, said Morris’ mom, Desrene Stephens, 34.</span>
Morris called 911 once ashore. Rescue divers couldn’t find Craig for almost 40 minutes because they had such a large area to scour, officials said. Firefighters pulled the unconscious boy out of the water about 1:15 p.m., but he couldn’t be revived.
[email protected]
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/quee...3#ixzz1xpOhrqAU
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