14-Year-Old Drowns Off Long Beach

A boy who recently graduated middle school drowned yesterday afternoon after jumping into the Reynolds Channel off Long Beach. Leo Vann and his friends had been at the skateboard park, and Vann decided to jump in to cool off. Though Vann reportedly could swim, it's believed he got caught in the undercurrent. Witnesses were unsuccessful in saving him and it took rescuers over 30 minutes to pull Vann from the water. His mother questioned why the skateboard park wasn't better supervised (however, Newsday noted a "no swimming" sign nearby).

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By Jen Chung in News on June 28, 2008 8:16 AM

Comments [rss]

ryanl93

honelty leo did no how to swim he was a really good friend of mine and no1 really nos the really story unless u were good friends wit him

gina pascariello

Please dont say that i gave up,just say that i gave in ,dont say i lost the battle,for it was Gods war to lose or win. Please dont say how good i was but that i did my best.Im well with God ,i made it home .Paint me in your hearts ,remember all the good .Life is full of many things, some happy and some sad .Thank God for my souls resting ,thank God for ive been blessed .Thank God for all who loved me and praise God who loved me best.

Rip Leo Vann ,watch over us !

Until we meet again !

iita428

I knew who Leo was..my sister was his best friend. I do know what happened and i think people should stop talking about it. He's gone now, evryone misses him. thaat's what counts.

lbanthony94

i was there wen this happened.leo was a very good friend of mine.and for the people writing stupid comments screw you.

rob711

i agree with the person above me. leo has touched many lives and this is a very difficult time for the ciity of long beach and his family. RIP BUDDY SK8 for life. 6/27/08 rip

gina pascariello

THIS GOES TO THE PERSON WHO WROTE "ANOTHER TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF BLACKS BLAMING OTHERS FOR THEIR OWN STUPIDITY. YOU ARE A CRUEL ,EVIL PERSON, AND YOU ARE STUPID.YOU DONT KNOW THE WHOLE STORY.

SO IF THE PERSON WAS A WHITE CHILD WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?DONT WORRY EVERY DOG HAS ITS DAY, AND YOU WILL TOO.

LEO WAS A GREAT PERSON. THE WHOLE COMMUNITY IS MOURNING FOR HIM . HE WAS VERY MUCH LIKED, BY ALL RACES OF PEOPLE. HE HAS TOUCHED MANY LIVES.

IF YOU PEOPLE HAVE NOTHING NICE TO SAY BACK OFF ,AND DONT SAY IT . PUT YOURSELF IN THIS SITUATION. WE LOVE YOU LEO RIP.

gina pascariello

THIS GOES TO THE PERSON WHO MADE A COMMENT AS "JUST ANOTHER TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF BLACKS BLAMING OTHERS FOR THEIR OWN STUPIDITY.

THIS WAS NOT LEO'S FAULT AND ALL YOU PEOPLE THAT HAVE SOMETHING NASTY TO SAY OR SOME STUPID STORY MADE UP IN THERE HEAD IS PATHETIC !! EVERYONE NEEDS TO MIND THERE BUSINESS AND KEEP THERE OPINIONS TO THERE SELVES EXPECIALLY IF YOU HAD NO IDEA WHO LEO WAS.STOP MAKING UP RUMORS THAT ARE NOT TRUE. THIS WAS A TOTAL ACCIDENT AND MY DAUGHTER WAS ONE OF HIS BEST FRIENDS AND TO SEE OTHERS BLAME HIM OR HIS FAMILY FOR WHO THEY ARE IS WRONG. THIS BOY DYING HAS NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT HE IS BLACK..HE COULD HAVE BEEN ANY OTHER RACE AND IT WOULD HAVE STILL HAPPENED. ITS CALLED AN ACCIDENT FOR A REASON. HE WAS A GREAT PERSON INSIDE AND OUT AND HE WILL BE FOREVER MISSED. IF YOU DID NOT KNOW WHO LEO WAS AND HAVE NOTHING NICE TO COMMENT PLEASE DONT SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE GOING THROUGH A VERY HARD TIME BECAUSE WE LOST A VERY SPECIAL PERSON. WE LOVE YOU LEO AND YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.

sonyactivision

Rename it The Darwin Channel.

rob711

u people are alll wrong and have no idea wat happened. the kid was skating at the park. 2 of his friends (names i do know) went in. leo had jumped in also since the weather had been extremly hot.the undercurrent had swept him in.NOW SOMTHING NOT IN THE NEWS. he got coguht on somthing in the water and started beelding and having trouble. his friend tried to save him and he started pullling him down with him. the kid swam away and leo drowned. he was never dared and tere is nobody to blame.yes the skate park is near were he jumped. leo was a grat kid and will always be remember. 6/27/08 rip

Albert Sharpton

PWNED.

iita428

This is just a shame. He just graduated from middle school and was excited to enter the high school. I don't think he did it on his own, I think that maybe his friends dared him to jump in. Also, this has nothing to do with black people blaming others.

Nick S

yeah, its a bummer it happened, but blaming the skate park for it is ridiculous. it's just a tragic accident.

Splicer

People make mistakes and have poor judgment or just don't see the real danger in what they are doing. Unfortunately, it sometimes is a fatal mistake.

David

The undercurrents in the Reynolds Channel are very dangerous and the water there is filthy. Why the hell would anyone want to swim there when the ATLANTIC OCEAN is three blocks away?