Fundraiser Established for Funeral of Pitman, NJ Teen Who Drowned

The search is over for a missing 18-year-old from Pitman and it's not the news family and friends were hoping for. Sadly, Victor Rodriguez lost his life after drowning. Now, a fundraiser has been established to help his family with funeral expenses.

On Sunday, Rodriguez and a friend reportedly tried to swim across Alcyon Lake in Gloucester County but Rodriguez disappeared beneath the water. His friend tried to find him to no avail, according to 6abc.com.

On Monday afternoon, his lifeless body was pulled from the lake. He had drowned.

Police reported that the depth of the water and its tall vegetation made the search for Victor more difficult, according to 6abc.

Borough of Pitman posted a heartfelt message on Facebook as they shared the heartbreaking news.

A vigil was held for the Pitman High School senior Monday night at United Methodist Church. Now, a GoFundMe has been established to help Victor's family give him a proper funeral and burial, Patch.com reports.

The post by Victor's family reads, in part, 'We know it is short notice, but we are asking you to please find it in your hearts to help our family raise money to give him the best funeral possible. For those of you who know Victor, he deserves only the best. In this hard time, we ask you to show him the same love he offered everyone else.'

You can access the fundraiser here.

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Our thoughts are with Victor's family, friends, and fellow Pitman HS students at this heartbreaking time.