12-Year-Old Student Dies During School Rafting Trip on Pennsylvania River

A 12-year-old student from Sag Harbor died Wednesday afternoon when the raft he was riding in capsized on the Lehigh River in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, authorities confirmed.

Cesar Albarracin Guncay was among 75 students from the Sag Harbor Union Free School District participating in the school's annual guided rafting excursion. He was one of five students aboard an inflatable raft when it overturned near the D&L Trail at mile marker 99, ejecting all passengers into the water.

Emergency responders were summoned immediately after the boy failed to resurface. Crews recovered his body from the river, and medical personnel pronounced him dead at 6:50 p.m.

The Carbon County Coroner's Office ruled the death an accidental drowning. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission said the incident remains under investigation. Authorities have not yet released details about river conditions, safety equipment, or the specific circumstances that caused the raft to capsize.

Superintendent Jeff Nichols expressed the district's grief in a statement to parents.

"On behalf of the entire district, we extend our deepest condolences to Cesar's family and loved ones during this extraordinarily difficult time," Nichols said. "We ask our community to honor Cesar's memory and keep his family in our thoughts."

In a separate statement, Nichols described the boy as a beloved member of the school community.

"There are no words to adequately express the depth of this loss. Cesar was a cherished member of our school family, a child who mattered deeply to all who had the privilege of knowing him," he said. "His absence will leave an irreplaceable space in our classrooms, our hallways and our lives."

The district announced that counselors would be available to support students and staff in the wake of the tragedy.