The Burlington High School community is mourning the loss of student Eljak Menjwak, who drowned Saturday at Bartlett Falls in Bristol.
The 18-year-old senior jumped from the falls into the New Haven River around 5:10 p.m. He immediately began to struggle in the water, and bystanders were not able to pull him out, according to a press release from Vermont State Police.
Multiple fire and rescue agencies responded to emergency calls, including Bristol Rescue. Menjwak’s body was recovered around 8 p.m., the release said.
State police do not consider the death suspicious or criminal in nature, department spokesperson Adam Silverman said.
“Eljak was a bright light in our school district,” Schools Superintendent Tom Flanagan wrote in a letter to the school community Sunday. “He was deeply loved by his peers, teachers, and mentors, and his presence will be profoundly missed.”
Counseling services would be available to students and families at Burlington High School on Monday, at Champlain Elementary on Tuesday, and Edmunds Middle School on Thursday, Flanagan’s statement said. Support for staff members will be provided through the employee assistance program. Community members have also started an online GoFundMe fundraiser to support the family.
A viewing is planned for 5 p.m. Friday at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, and the burial will be the following day, school district spokesperson Russell Elek said.
