(no subject)
Oscar Alery
R.I.P.
Feb. 3, 1990 - March 19, 2005
A 15-year-old Opa-locka art student died Saturday morning during an outing with friends from church when a paddleboat flipped over in a lake in Dania Beach, authorities said.
The teen, Oscar Alery, was pedaling the eight-foot boat with Rickquinna Conley, 19, near the Estates of Fort Lauderdale m obile home park north of Stirling Road when it began taking on water sometime before 10:23 a.m., when authorities were called.
Conley jumped overboard, witnesses said; then the boat flipped over.
Both teens were in the water when Conley asked Oscar whether he was OK, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
'He said, `Yeah, I'm fine. I can swim,' '' said BSO spokesman Hugh Graf.
But when Conley swam to shore and turned around, Oscar was nowhere to be found.
Divers from Hollywood Fire Rescue recovered his body about 11:10 a.m.
''At this point, it seems that this was absolutely just an accident . . . with a horrible, tragic ending,'' Graf said.
Oscar was an aspiring artist and standout student at the Design & Architecture Senior High School in Miami, said Pastor Eddie Williams, of the Northwest Dade Church of Christ in Opa-locka, where Oscar and his family attended services.
''He was a great kid,'' Williams said. ``It's going to be a great loss.''
MEDIA INTEREST
Oscar's grieving family, gathered at their tidy Opa-locka home Saturday evening, struggled to cope with the rush of news-media interest in the tragedy. After an internal debate held in English and Creole, the family decided to decline reporters' requests for interviews.
Mira Waters, who lives in the neighborhood and also attends the church, had invited fellow church friends Oscar, Conley, Conley's husband Magliore ''Junior'' Obsaint, and another woman to her home Saturday to relax, go fishing and discuss religion.
Waters, a former actress, said her guests spent part of the morning marveling at her photographs, including snapshots of her with Gladys Knight, Muhammad Ali and Diana Ross.
But Oscar could think only about fishing. After about 10 minutes of fishing on her pier, Waters' visitors decided to take an excursion on the lake with paddleboats Waters had borrowed from neighbors. The boats are propelled by foot pedals.
Both boats had rainwater in them from recent storms, according to BSO.
Conley and Oscar, who were not wearing life jackets, chose one of the boats and started pedaling.
TAKING ON WATER
Shortly after, the boat began taking on water. Conley jumped out, and the boat flipped over, witnesses said. While Conley swam toward shore, Oscar appeared to be in trouble in the water, onlookers said.
''He came up three times, gasping,'' Waters said. ``Then he just disappeared.''
Chris Hetrick, 41, and several other people jumped into a boat and headed over to help. Hetrick said he flipped over the paddleboat but didn't see Oscar.
Obsaint, 25, was riding in the other paddleboat when he saw Oscar flailing.
Obsaint jumped off his boat and swam to where he last saw Oscar, but the boy had vanished. Obsaint, who began to tire and swallow water, swam to shore.
25 FEET UNDERWATER
Less than an hour later, Oscar was found about 25 feet beneath the surface. He was 125 to 150 feet from shore, said Dania Beach Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Mike Brown.
Divers made two sweeps of the area before finding Oscar, Brown said. The rescue was difficult because witnesses could not say exactly where he had gone down.
Onlookers said they saw blood on Oscar's head when he was brought to shore, leading them to think that perhaps his head had hit the boat.
Investigators said they did not know whether Oscar suffered injuries, nor have they confirmed why the boat capsized, Graf said.
PRONOUNCED DEAD
Oscar, Obsaint and Conley were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, where Oscar was pronounced dead at 11:33 a.m. Conley and Obsaint were treated and released.
The Broward Medical Examiner's Office was to conduct an autopsy.
Williams, the pastor, said Oscar was a boy with a passion for life.
''The amazing thing about Oscar was, at the age of 15, he was one of the most mature, disciplined kids I ever met,'' Williams said. ``We just instantly fell in love with him. I feel like I lost a son.''
Herald staff writer Robert L. Steinback contributed to this report.
-He had his whole life ahead of him! he was only 15! Why did it have to happen to someone so nice, so funny, so handsome and helpful. someone who always thought about others.
Why? And no one saw it coming...i wish i couldn've done something, i mean, i saw him 2 days before it happened. How can someone so young be taken away like that, when they had so much to offer. I know he is in a better place now, but i feel sorry for him. Sorry he couldn't live his life the way he planned. He was going to make it far...but we'll never know how far, and thats what gets me. I was his friend, and i cried when i heard...i cried alot, but then i think...what about all the people who are really close to him? I can't even begin to feel the pain they must be feeling. I hope he knew how many people loved him, and cared about him. And i'll pray for his family. I pray that they get through this.
Again,
R.I.P
Oscar Alery
Feb. 3, 1990 - March 19, 2005
<3333333
R.I.P.
Feb. 3, 1990 - March 19, 2005
A 15-year-old Opa-locka art student died Saturday morning during an outing with friends from church when a paddleboat flipped over in a lake in Dania Beach, authorities said.
The teen, Oscar Alery, was pedaling the eight-foot boat with Rickquinna Conley, 19, near the Estates of Fort Lauderdale m obile home park north of Stirling Road when it began taking on water sometime before 10:23 a.m., when authorities were called.
Conley jumped overboard, witnesses said; then the boat flipped over.
Both teens were in the water when Conley asked Oscar whether he was OK, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
'He said, `Yeah, I'm fine. I can swim,' '' said BSO spokesman Hugh Graf.
But when Conley swam to shore and turned around, Oscar was nowhere to be found.
Divers from Hollywood Fire Rescue recovered his body about 11:10 a.m.
''At this point, it seems that this was absolutely just an accident . . . with a horrible, tragic ending,'' Graf said.
Oscar was an aspiring artist and standout student at the Design & Architecture Senior High School in Miami, said Pastor Eddie Williams, of the Northwest Dade Church of Christ in Opa-locka, where Oscar and his family attended services.
''He was a great kid,'' Williams said. ``It's going to be a great loss.''
MEDIA INTEREST
Oscar's grieving family, gathered at their tidy Opa-locka home Saturday evening, struggled to cope with the rush of news-media interest in the tragedy. After an internal debate held in English and Creole, the family decided to decline reporters' requests for interviews.
Mira Waters, who lives in the neighborhood and also attends the church, had invited fellow church friends Oscar, Conley, Conley's husband Magliore ''Junior'' Obsaint, and another woman to her home Saturday to relax, go fishing and discuss religion.
Waters, a former actress, said her guests spent part of the morning marveling at her photographs, including snapshots of her with Gladys Knight, Muhammad Ali and Diana Ross.
But Oscar could think only about fishing. After about 10 minutes of fishing on her pier, Waters' visitors decided to take an excursion on the lake with paddleboats Waters had borrowed from neighbors. The boats are propelled by foot pedals.
Both boats had rainwater in them from recent storms, according to BSO.
Conley and Oscar, who were not wearing life jackets, chose one of the boats and started pedaling.
TAKING ON WATER
Shortly after, the boat began taking on water. Conley jumped out, and the boat flipped over, witnesses said. While Conley swam toward shore, Oscar appeared to be in trouble in the water, onlookers said.
''He came up three times, gasping,'' Waters said. ``Then he just disappeared.''
Chris Hetrick, 41, and several other people jumped into a boat and headed over to help. Hetrick said he flipped over the paddleboat but didn't see Oscar.
Obsaint, 25, was riding in the other paddleboat when he saw Oscar flailing.
Obsaint jumped off his boat and swam to where he last saw Oscar, but the boy had vanished. Obsaint, who began to tire and swallow water, swam to shore.
25 FEET UNDERWATER
Less than an hour later, Oscar was found about 25 feet beneath the surface. He was 125 to 150 feet from shore, said Dania Beach Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Mike Brown.
Divers made two sweeps of the area before finding Oscar, Brown said. The rescue was difficult because witnesses could not say exactly where he had gone down.
Onlookers said they saw blood on Oscar's head when he was brought to shore, leading them to think that perhaps his head had hit the boat.
Investigators said they did not know whether Oscar suffered injuries, nor have they confirmed why the boat capsized, Graf said.
PRONOUNCED DEAD
Oscar, Obsaint and Conley were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, where Oscar was pronounced dead at 11:33 a.m. Conley and Obsaint were treated and released.
The Broward Medical Examiner's Office was to conduct an autopsy.
Williams, the pastor, said Oscar was a boy with a passion for life.
''The amazing thing about Oscar was, at the age of 15, he was one of the most mature, disciplined kids I ever met,'' Williams said. ``We just instantly fell in love with him. I feel like I lost a son.''
Herald staff writer Robert L. Steinback contributed to this report.
-He had his whole life ahead of him! he was only 15! Why did it have to happen to someone so nice, so funny, so handsome and helpful. someone who always thought about others.
Why? And no one saw it coming...i wish i couldn've done something, i mean, i saw him 2 days before it happened. How can someone so young be taken away like that, when they had so much to offer. I know he is in a better place now, but i feel sorry for him. Sorry he couldn't live his life the way he planned. He was going to make it far...but we'll never know how far, and thats what gets me. I was his friend, and i cried when i heard...i cried alot, but then i think...what about all the people who are really close to him? I can't even begin to feel the pain they must be feeling. I hope he knew how many people loved him, and cared about him. And i'll pray for his family. I pray that they get through this.
Again,
R.I.P
Oscar Alery
Feb. 3, 1990 - March 19, 2005
<3333333