NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A 13-year-old boy dragged unconscious out of Brooklyn's Prospect Park Lake on June 14 has passed away, his family announced.
Rikeverns "Ricky" Joassaint went under chasing after a turtle with his friends on the lake's southern shore, witnesses reported. After being pulled out of the water, he remained in critical condition at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital for three weeks, before succumbing to his injuries on July 5.
"[Ricky] fought and held on until we were able to bring his mom from the Caribbean to come to his bedside," said Sergo Joassaint, the boy's father, in an update on his GoFundMe page. "His mom was able to spend 1.5 days with him at the bedside, before Ricky became an Angel of God."
Prospect Park Lake's "sinuous" shoreline is deceiving – the lake deepens suddenly, with the floor completely dropping out.
The murky water and persistent algae cover make the lake even harder to swim in. Warning signs have surrounded the lake since 2020, amid repeated incidents of children running into the water and almost drowning.
The GoFundMe for Ricky's recovery continues to receive donations following the announcement of his passing. The Joassaint family has currently raised over $11,000. The link to the family's GoFundMe can be found here.
"We ask for your prayers to help us during this painful and tragic part of life," Sergo posted in his update. "Thank you again."