Crime & Safety

Bolingbrook Drowning Victim Identified as 17-Year-Old Javier Vera

Crisis team activated to assist with students dealing with the grief and loss at Bolingbrook High School.

Valley View School District Director of Communications Larry Randa said a crisis team was activated Thursday morning to assist with Bolingbrook High School students dealing with the grief and loss of Javier Vera.

Vera, 17, a Bolingbrook High School student, was identified by a spokesman at the Will County coroner's office as the victim in a drowning accident on Wednesday night at the Elmhurst-Chicago Stone Co. quarry, located at 1421 W. 135th St.

Read: 1 Dead in Bolingbrook Swimming Accident

He was swimming laps across a section of the quarry that is water-filled with two other 17-year-old boys, according to Bolingbrook police lieutenant Mike Rompa, but began to struggle.

"Both of the (other) boys attempted to render aid but were unsuccessful," Rompa said. "He went under the water and did not resurface."

Rompa said the Plainfield Dive Team pulled Vera's body from the water at 9:04 p.m.—concluding a search that one eye-witness said spanned more than an hour.

The three boys entered the quarry at approximately 7:30 p.m., Rompa said.




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