Local

Swimmer whose body was recovered near Castle Island identified as Boston teen

BOSTON — State Police have identified the 19-year-old swimmer whose body was recovered near Castle Island Thursday as Alves Teixeira of Boston.

The Coast Guard searched from the air Thursday as State Police and Boston Fire Department divers searched the waters of Pleasure Bay in South Boston for the missing 19-year-old swimmer.

”They whistled on multiple occasions for the swimmers to turn around and come back,” said Major Mark Kiley of the Massachusetts State Police.

Two of the four swimmers did come back to shore but two others, both of whom were brothers, kept going. Teixeira reportedly went under after suffering from a seizure, according to a Boston Fire Department spokesperson.

A family friend said one of the two brothers told him what happened.

”His brother told me they were out and they were swimming and he noticed [he] went under and he dove under to try to save him and he couldn’t find his body,” said Nylton Andrade who is a family friend.

“The pair was swimming approximately 150-200 yards from shore when the victim’s brother swam underwater, and when he re-surfaced, his brother was no longer in sight,” State Police said Friday. “The brother then began to search for Mr. Teixeira and he himself began to struggle to stay afloat.”

The victim’s brother was rescued by DCR lifeguards, but they could not find Teixeira.

”I was on a walk around the bay and I heard screams of help coming from over here. And it was really loud,” said Becca Akins, a witness who said she heard a man calling for help.

The search lasted nearly six hours due to the large search area and murky water.

”Dive was not too difficult, only 30 feet of water but visibility only two-to-three feet,” said Sgt. Patrick Foley of the State Police Dive Team.

A local priest came to help console the family and to pray with them. Just before 7:30, the body of the 19-year-old was found. The family’s grief was raw and friends were also deeply feeling the loss of such a young life.

”To see stuff like this really breaks my heart man. Especially when I know him very close,” Andrade said.

State Police said there have been dozens of drownings across the state this year. They urge people to know their limitations before going into the water especially, as the holiday weekend approaches.

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