CANTERBURY, N.H. — A 15-year-old boy died Saturday while swimming with friends in the Merrimack River near Oxbow Pond Road in Canterbury.
According to state police, the boy began to struggle and nearby witnesses attempted to assist him. Before they could reach him, he went under and did not resurface, police said.
Upon searching the area, the Concord Fire Department located the victim and he was transported to Concord Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The incident remains under investigation.
Rescue officials were called just after 6 p.m., and the boy was located by members of the Concord Fire Department near the Boscawen and Canterbury town line just after 7:30 p.m.
The boy’s name was not released Sunday afternoon pending notification of his family.
Other responding agencies included NH Marine Patrol, State Police Troop D, Boscawen Police and Boscawen Fire. Anyone who witnessed the incident is encouraged to contact Officer Scott McLain at 603-227-2118 or by email at scott.mclain@dos.nh.gov.
It was the third major incident in the area in recent weeks.
In late May, a 27-year-old and a 21-year-old drowned in the river along Pebble Beach in Canterbury. Divers recovered the bodies of the two victims not far from the shore.
The tragedy preceded a near-drowning on the Fourth of July in the exact spot in which a family passing along the river rescued a man and two children.