Sixth-grader dies during annual school rafting trip to the Poconos

U.S. newsSixth-grader dies during annual school rafting trip to the Poconos The raft carrying 12-year-old Cesar Albarracin Guncay capsized, ejecting all five people on board into the water. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 28, 2026, 4:14 PM EDTBy Francie EbertA 12-year-old boy from Sag Harbor died Wednesday during a class rafting trip in the Poconos region of Pennsylvania. The outing was an annual school field trip and included a guided rafting excursion on the Lehigh River.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Cesar Albarracin Guncay was a sixth grader at Pierson Middle School.The Carbon County Coroner’s Office said in a press release that officials responded after receiving a report of a drowning near the 99-mile marker along the Lehigh River in East Penn Township.The raft capsized, ejecting all five people on board into the water. Guncay’s raft was separate from a larger group led by a river guide. He did not resurface after the vessel overturned. The Lehighton Fire Department Dive Team recovered his body and transported him to a nearby staging area.The Forensic Pathology Associates at the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office determined Thursday that the cause of death was drowning. A Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission spokesperson told NBC News that life jackets were in use at the time of the accident, but noted that “any incident involving a recreational boating fatality” would trigger a review of all safety equipment as part of the investigation.Superintendent Jeff Nichols of the school said in a statement: “It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of the passing of our beloved sixth-grade student, Cesar Albarracin Guncay, following a rafting accident that occurred during the annual class trip to the Poconos. There are no words to adequately express the depth of this loss. Cesar was a cherished member of our schoo...