Two boys who drowned at a Brockton park were cousins who did not know how to swim, authorities said Sunday.
Rafael Andrade, 13, and Tiago Depina, 12, both of Brockton, died Saturday night in Waldo Lake in D.W. Field Park. An 11-year-old boy who was rescued earlier in the evening was hospitalized, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz.
Valdo Ceneteio said he jumped in to try to help after hearing an adult calling for help.
“One of the kid’s arms, I saw it and right when I saw it, I jumped right after him,” Centeio told WCVB-TV. “But I guess he went all the way down because they were telling me it’s 40 feet down, so that’s why I couldn’t find him. I looked, I looked and I looked, and the water was way too dark.”
Emergency crews were called to the park around 7:30 p.m. The boys' bodies were recovered after 9 p.m.
Mayor Robert Sullivan said grief counselors were available Sunday at the middle school the boys attended.
“This is just a tragic day here in the city and our prayers and condolences go out to the family,” he said. “My title is mayor, but my job is dad. I'm a dad of three kids. I cannot even fathom what this family is going through.”
