High School senior drowns in rip tide a week before graduation

By John Iz

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    INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Florida (WPBF) — The School District of Indian River County confirmed the death of a Sebastian River High School senior who drowned at the beach after school hours earlier Friday.

The high school said in a statement posted on its Facebook page that the death was caused when the student got caught up in a rip current. According to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, the student was an 18-year-old male.

The Sheriff’s Office, Indian River County Fire Rescue, the Indian River Shores Public Safety Department and a lifeguard all responded to Treasure Shores Beach following reports of a drowning at around 1:40 Friday afternoon. First responders immediately initiated life-saving efforts, and the victim was transported to the Sebastian River Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

In a statement, the Indian River County School District stated that “although the incident did not occur during a school-sponsored activity, the loss is felt deeply across the entire school community.”

Throughout this week, Sebastian River High School has been honoring its seniors with a series of final celebrations to mark the end of their time together. After Friday’s culminating event, a group of students went to the beach, where the drowning occurred.

The student was a member of the SRHS band and the senior class and was scheduled to graduate next Thursday. The school said that in his memory, and out of respect for his fellow band members and classmates, tonight’s end-of-year band concert has been canceled.

Grief counseling and support services will be made available on campus to support students and staff in the coming days.

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