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Sag Harbor Sixth-Grader Dies After Rafting Accident on Lehigh River

A county coroner-led investigation includes a scheduled autopsy, with findings likely to inform reviews of school trip safety

Overview

  • A raft carrying five people flipped on the Lehigh River during the Sag Harbor School District’s annual Poconos trip, and one 12-year-old student died after hours of search and rescue operations.
  • Emergency teams removed the child from the water before the coroner arrived and the Carbon County Coroner’s Office pronounced the student dead at the scene late Wednesday evening.
  • The student was identified by the district as Cesar Albarracin Guncay and Sag Harbor officials have notified families, offered counseling, and issued public condolences.
  • The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is coordinating with the Carbon County Coroner’s Office on the active investigation and an autopsy is scheduled to determine cause and manner of death.
  • About 74 students were on the multi-day trip, video showed a raft lodged against a downed tree marked to the outfitter, and authorities have called off the on-scene search while they complete forensic and procedural reviews.