Harvard MA:- A young man has died following an accidental drowning incident that happened on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, May 30, at Bare Hill Pond. The victim has been identified as Jayden Liu. According to reports, Jayden Liu, a 2022 graduate of the Bromfield School passed away from a drowning incident in Harvard, Massachusetts.
“Jayden had just finished his second year at college and was home, preparing to start a summer internship. Jayden, his sister Vivian Liu, and the entire Liu family are a tremendous part of our community. I have had the joy of travelling with them all over the United States and abroad, watching Jayden and Vivian grow into wonderful young adults. My heart goes out to the Liu family.”
What happened?
Shortly after midnight, a 911 call reported that a man swimming near Barba’s Point was missing about 250 feet from the shore. Harvard police, fire, and EMS reached the site via a trail behind the Bromfield School. The District 8 Mutual Aid dive team and the Harvard Public Safety Drone Team assisted in the search.
The swimmer, identified as Liu, was found dead at approximately 2:09 a.m. Liu and three friends had parked near Bromfield’s tennis courts and swam to a nearby island when Liu disappeared. The search took an hour under cloudy skies and a late-rising moon. No physical injuries or hypothermia were involved, and the investigation was closed pending final police reports.
School Superintendent Linda Dwight informed students and their families of Liu’s death in an email Thursday morning. In her email, Dwight said counselling was available to students as needed. She said counsellors would host a “drop-in support space” for students from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday afternoons. Alumni are invited to meet together in this space as well, she wrote.
Thursday afternoon, two of Liu’s former soccer teammates, Theo Bradley and Geraghty Vellante, left a photo, flowers, and a wicker basket with paper and pencil for notes of remembrance on the Common. At Barba’s Point, someone had left flowers, a photo, and a card that read, “Love you, Jayden.”
