Update: 14 year-old victim pulled from Fall River pond identified
By: Sarah E. Rooney
Email: news@abc6.com
Twitter: @ABC6
FALL RIVER, Mass. (WLNE) – The victim of an accidental drowning on Tuesday has been identified as 14-year-old Eddiel Benitez.
Tuesday afternoon, Fall River Police responded to reports of a teen that had gone under water after jumping into Watuppa Pond.
At approximately 12:45 p.m. Tuesday, a 14 year-old male, and his 13 year-old female friend jumped from a rocky ledge into Watuppa Pond in Fall River, Massachusetts.
According to witnesses at the scene, both of the teens showed sign of distress immediately after jumping into the Pond. Upon seeing the struggle, three adult males in the area entered the water to attempt a rescue.
The three men were able to retrieve the female, but were not able to get to the male before he went under the surface. Fall River Police were notified at 12:52 p.m., and the first officers on the scene entered the pond to search for the submerged male teen.
Members of the Fall River Fire Department’s Dive Team were finally able to locate and pull the victim out of the pond about 40 minutes after the teen had gone underwater.
The victim was transported to St. Anne’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
This victim has since been identified as 14-year-old Eddiel Benitez of Fall River.
According to authorities, no other individuals involved in the incident sustained any serious injuries.
© WLNE-TV / ABC6 2018
