The body of a 13-year-old boy who went missing in the East River off Manhattan was recovered from the water on Friday, and his distressed mother collapsed upon seeing her dead son, according to police sources speaking to The New York Post. Kavion Brown Godfrey was last seen in the water close to East Sixth Street and FDR Drive on the afternoon of October 20.
Witnesses later told police that they saw him struggling against the strong current before he disappeared. Rescuers retrieved his body from the water near Pier 16. Investigators, following discussions with witnesses, indicated the possibility that Godfrey might have been dared to go into the water.
Tragic Discovery
Godfrey's body was recovered from the water near the South Street Seaport on Friday, and his parents, Laquana Badger Godfrey and Donnell Godfrey, reportedly confirmed his identity, according to sources.
His mother was extremely distressed upon seeing her son's body, to the point where she fainted, as per sources.
Godfrey's body emerged around East 10th Street and was later found floating down to Wall and South streets, sources mentioned. The deceased teenager was taken out of the water at Pier 17, according to sources.
Godfrey's parents said that on the day he went missing, a man claiming to be a coach requested permission to take their son to a Lower East Side Prep soccer game.
However, instead of going to the game, Godfrey went to the river with other teenagers, seemingly without any adult supervision.
Sanford Rubenstein, an attorney for Godfrey's parents, said, "The first question this family wants an answer to is, was there a responsibility on the Department of Education which was breached?"
Massive Search Leads to Grim Finding
Following the teenager's disappearance, the NYPD utilized drones, scuba teams, and aviation units in their extensive search efforts to locate Godfrey. Both the authorities and the parents held hope for a successful search, desiring his safe return.
"We've done everything that the department is in possession of to try to find this young man," NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Tarik Sheppard said Thursday.
The Department of Education on Thursday sent a message to CBS New York after the network asked for comment on the claims of the parents and Rubenstein. The DOE sent us the following statement:
"Our thoughts and hearts are with this student's family, friends, and the entire school community during this difficult time. We are providing additional emotional and mental health supports to the students at this school."
The NYPD only officially acknowledged on Friday that a body had been retrieved. According to the family, they fondly remember Kavion as "intelligent" and as someone who was always willing to assist anyone in need.
