The body of a Bronx teen bound for Cornell was found in Ithaca Saturday night after he drowned, police said.
After a nearly five-hour search, Winston Perez-Ventura, who’s hometown and exact age have not yet been made public, was discovered in Ithaca Falls after police were called to investigate a report that a swimmer had gone into the water but did not return. The search began around 2:30 p.m. and ended with the harrowing discovery at 7:20 p.m., the Ithaca Times reported.
“The Ithaca gorges are so, so beautiful but they can be very dangerous if folks don’t obey the posted signs,” acting Ithaca Police Department Chief Pete Tyler said in a press release on Facebook. “I encourage everyone to please, please follow the posted signs on the gorge trails, especially those that prohibit trespassing and swimming. The signs are in place for no other reason than to keep folks safe when they enter our gorges.”
Perez-Ventura had planned to enroll in Cornell’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, and he was only two weeks away from starting classes, according to CBS2. He was remembered by friends and family as a bright young man who was highly active in his community and had achieved much after moving with his mother to the Bronx from the Dominican Republic at age 9.
CBS2 reported a meeting was held at Cornell yesterday to provide community support after the tragic loss.
