TWO RIVERS, WI (WTAQ) – The Two Rivers community is still dealing with the shock of a student’s reported drowning death at the high school this week.
Emergency crews responded to the high school Tuesday afternoon for a medical emergency in the pool area. Upon arrival, they discovered an unresponsive male that had been pulled from the pool.
Two Rivers City Manager Greg Buckley says the loss is felt throughout the community – even by people who don’t know the family.
“Our school system is such a vital, integral part of the larger community. So I think the pain is felt throughout Two Rivers,” Buckley said. “The loss of a life is always tragic. I think it resonates within a small, tight-knit community where we treasure our schools and we treasure our kids.”
For a small community like Two Rivers, tragic incidents like this aren’t particularly common. Buckley says that can make it harder for some people to grasp.
“I think in our society in some regards, we hear in the media and obviously in larger metro areas, sometimes you hear more about tragic loss of life, and maybe to an extent we’ve become numb to that,” Buckley told WTAQ News. “When a tragedy befalls anyone, an untimely death, it really hits home in a small community…This loss is felt throughout the community. Even folks that don’t know the family, like I don’t, but there’s that strong sense of empathy because we take for granted that our citizens [and kids] are safe.”
Even with so many unanswered questions, and likely weeks until an official autopsy report, there is optimism that the community will work together to find a path towards healing.
“Small, tight-knit communities have a way of banding together and lifting up people and supporting them in these times a lot. And I have no doubt that’s happening already,” Buckley said.
Very few further details have been released surrounding exactly what happened. Two Rivers Police were unable to provide further comment on the investigation.
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