ITEM PHOTO BY BRIDGET TURCOTTE
Signs mark the shore of Walden Pond in Lynn.
BY BRIDGET TURCOTTE
LYNN — Breed Middle School is mourning the loss of Jose Angel Capellan Rodriguez. The 13-year-old student died on Sunday while swimming with friends at Walden Pond Reservoir in Lynn Woods.
Catherine Latham, superintendent of Lynn Public Schools, said grief counselors were available throughout the day and will remain at the school for as long as they are needed.
“All of us in the Lynn Public School community are deeply saddened at the loss of our young student and send our deepest sympathies to his family,” she said.
Rodriquez was pulled from the water by emergency crews and taken to Union Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett’s office.
Saugus Fire Chief Michael Newbury said the fire department accessed the reservoir from Walden Pond Avenue. The boy was across the pond, on the Lynn Woods side, he said.
Karen Benson, owner of Indian Rock Stables, said she saw a group of teenagers playing on the rocks across the pond from an access point near her property at about 11 a.m. Benson said she has called the police department daily for two months to report that people are swimming in the reservoir, where it is prohibited.
“Most of them swim at the pump house, which I think is an even more dangerous area than where this little boy died,” she said.
Saugus firefighters used a rescue boat, and Saugus and Lynn firefighters traveled the perimeter of the pond to try to locate him, Newbury said. It took close to 20 minutes to find him.
“I can’t say enough about the actions of the people on the scene and how much they bring to the table,” said Newbury. “The efforts they made were not in vain.”
Newbury and Benson agreed that one park ranger monitoring the area is not enough.
“The message is really that people shouldn’t be swimming in open water up there,” Newbury said. “They should be going to places like Breakheart (Reservation). They shouldn’t be up there swimming unsupervised.”
Benson said she and her son have tried to stop teenagers from trespassing and swimming in the reservoir. She has installed security cameras, signs, and boulders along the road to prevent parking. Older teens often hang out in the woods, drink alcohol and swim in the reservoir, she added.
“We try to do everything we can to deter them,” Benson said. “Breakheart has a beautiful lake that’s safe and has a lifeguard. It’s not going to bring that little boy back, but something needs to be done. It’s so unsafe.”
Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @BridgetTurcotte