Two boys who drowned in Brockton park pond identified

BROCKTON, Mass. — Two boys, ages 12 and 13, drowned in a pond at D.W. Field Park in Brockton on Saturday night, and a third boy was rescued, Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz said in a statement.

On Sunday afternoon, Cruz identified the two boys who died as cousins: Rafael Andrande, 13, of Brockton, and Tiago Depina, 12, of Brockton.

Brockton Police received a 911 call around 7:30 p.m. for a possible drowning at Waldo Lake at the park. When they arrived, they learned that two children had gone under water and could not be found, Cruz said.

Police went into the water and attempted to find them, but couldn’t. The Plymouth County Technical Rescue Team was called for help.

At 8:51 p.m., divers found the body of Andrande. He was brought to Good Samaritan Hospital where he died.

At 9:33 p.m., divers found Depina’s body. He was also brought to Good Samaritan Hospital where he was pronounced.

Cruz said it appears the two boys were skipping rocks in shallow water at Waldo Lake. There is a steep drop off and it appears one of them fell in the water while the other tried to rescue him, Cruz said. Both went under the water.

They did not know how to swim, Cruz said.

Family members and several witnesses in the area tried numerous times to rescue the boys but were unsuccessful, Cruz said.

“Their efforts were nothing short of heroic and they worked extremely hard to turn a bad situation into a positive outcome. Unfortunately, in our business, sometimes that is not always the case,” said Brockton Fire Department Captain Stephen McLean.

A third boy, age 11, was rescued and sent to a nearby hospital, Cruz said. His condition was not known Saturday night.

No foul play is suspected.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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