Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
Cesar Albarracin Guncay, a 12-year-old sixth-grade student from the Sag Harbor Union Free School District, died Wednesday evening after the inflatable raft he was riding in capsized on the Lehigh River in East Penn Township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania — a tragedy that unfolded during what was meant to be the school’s annual end-of-year class trip to the Pocono Mountains, according to Fox 5 New York.
The accident occurred at approximately 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on the Lehigh River, according to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. A group of five boaters — Cesar among them — was traveling together in an inflatable raft as part of a larger, guided rafting excursion when the raft capsized, ejecting all five occupants into the river. While the four other passengers were recovered safely, 12-year-old Cesar did not immediately resurface. Search-and-rescue crews were dispatched and later recovered the boy from the river. He was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m. by the Carbon County Coroner’s Office, according to Fox 5 New York.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission confirmed the drowning occurred near the D&L Trail at mile marker 99 along the Lehigh River. The commission noted in a statement that “all other occupants of the raft were recovered safely,” and confirmed the incident remains under active investigation. The Carbon County Coroner’s Office scheduled an autopsy for Friday to determine the official cause and manner of death.
News of Cesar’s death reached the Sag Harbor community through an official letter sent to district families by school officials. In it, the Sag Harbor Union Free School District expressed devastating grief over the loss. “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,” district officials wrote. They described Cesar as “a cherished member of our school family” and announced that grief counselors would be made available to both students and staff in the coming days, per reporting by Fox 5 New York.
The annual sixth-grade trip to the Pocono Mountains is a long-standing tradition within the Sag Harbor Union Free School District. The excursion on the Lehigh River was part of a guided outing organized as a component of that trip. It remains unclear at this stage which rafting company operated the guided excursion, or what specific conditions on the river may have contributed to the raft’s capsize. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is the lead investigative agency and has not yet released a preliminary finding on the cause of the accident.
Location & Road Context
The Lehigh River runs through Carbon County in northeastern Pennsylvania and is a popular destination for whitewater rafting excursions, particularly for school and youth groups from the New York metropolitan area. The section of the river near East Penn Township, where the accident occurred, sits along the Delaware & Lehigh (D&L) National Heritage Corridor — specifically near mile marker 99 of the D&L Trail, a rural stretch of waterway that draws thousands of guided rafting participants each year. Sag Harbor, located on the South Fork of Long Island’s East End, is home to the Sag Harbor Union Free School District, which serves a tight-knit community. For more on Long Island towns and their school communities, visit our local coverage section.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission confirmed that the incident remains under active investigation as of the time of this report. No charges have been announced and no preliminary cause has been officially cited. The Carbon County Coroner’s Office scheduled an autopsy for Friday, May 30, 2026, to determine the cause and manner of Cesar’s death. The commission’s statement confirmed that all parties involved in the broader guided excursion — beyond the five occupants of the capsized raft — were accounted for safely. The findings of the autopsy and the commission’s investigation are expected to determine whether any regulatory or safety violations contributed to the tragedy.
Broader Impact
Guided whitewater rafting excursions on rivers like the Lehigh have long been popular school trip destinations for Long Island districts, but this tragedy raises serious questions about age-appropriate water safety protocols, supervision ratios, and life jacket compliance on guided commercial rafting trips in Pennsylvania. The Lehigh River corridor sees high seasonal traffic from organized school and youth groups, and the outcome of the Fish and Boat Commission’s investigation may carry implications for how commercial outfitters manage group excursions involving minors. See our coverage of recent critical accidents on Long Island and beyond for related reporting.