2 Die Trying in Vain to Save 17-Year-Old Friend From Drowning in Florida River

A Florida teen died after becoming caught in a river's current and being unable to be saved by his two friends who also lost their lives in the water trying to save him, authorities said.

Santos Tiul-Chen, 17, and his friends traveled to the Caloosahatchee River in Franklin Lock Park after a church youth event on Saturday, and though Tiul-Chen did not know how to swim, he entered the water, which was 10-feet deep, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

When Tiul-Chen began to struggle, his friends, Pedro Pascual, 21, and Victor Pedro-Gaspar, 19, jumped in to rescue him, officials said. But Pascual and Pedro-Gaspar began to struggle as well, and eventually all three friends went under and never resurfaced, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.

A fourth unnamed person jumped in to help but when they realized they too were struggling and were able to turn back to the shore, the Tampa Bay Times reported. They were taken to a local hospital to be observed, officials said.

The three victims all attended Jesus Es La Verdad Church in Fort Myers, where they were remembered during Sunday’s service, KFYRTV reported.

"It’s just sad. We still can’t process it … every one of us, especially the family. Imagine you see your son leave in the morning, and you’re waiting for him to come back and he never does," their close friend Neyda Velasquez told KFYRTV. "So, yeah, it’s kind of difficult to process. We still can’t believe it’s true."

The Army Corps of Engineers has put up new signs in English and Spanish in the area that reads, “No swimming,” KFYRTV reported.

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