BAYONNE, N.J. (WCBS 880) – Two teenage brothers drowned at a school swimming pool in New Jersey on Wednesday night, officials said.
The brothers, ages 16 and 19, died at the Lincoln Community School pool in Bayonne around 8:30 p.m. They have not been identified.
The older sibling was a recent graduate of the school, while his younger brother was a junior there.
There were three lifeguards at the pool when the teens went under in the deep end of the pool. The lifeguards pulled them from the water and started life-saving efforts. Police and an ambulance also arrived, but they could not be saved.
The pool is well lit and well maintained. The six-lane lap area is shallow. There’s also a smaller diving well. A movable bulkhead is between the areas.
A city official told WNBC that there may have been a language barrier or communication issue during the emergency. The brothers’ 11-year-old sister reportedly witnessed them drown.
John Niesz, the superintendent of Bayonne School District, announced the deaths in a letter to the community posted on Facebook.
Niesz said Bayonne police are investigating the deaths. Additional details weren’t immediately released.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and to all of our community,” Niesz wrote. “We will have additional crisis counselors and guidance counselors [Friday] at all schools.”
The pool at the school will be closed to all activities until further notice, the superintendent said.
Mayor Jimmy Davis wrote on Facebook that “Bayonne is in mourning” and that the drownings are an “unspeakable tragedy” for the city.
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