A Massachusetts community received devastating news. A Rockland High School trip to Europe had just begun when a senior, Jared Quirk, collapsed in Greece.
"About 1:15 this afternoon, a teacher in charge of the trip told us that one of our students had collapsed in the street in Athens and had been taken to the hospital and passed away," said Superintendent John Retchless on Friday.
Retchless says about 60 students and 8 teachers were on the trip. After Greece, the group was to head to Rome.
The students were supposed to return next Friday.
It's a trip they look forward to for years - sometimes, they start fundraising in the 10th grade.
A recent article in the school newspaper talked about how excited the students were for the annual tour.
"It's extremely sad, a very difficult day for the kids," said Retchless. "We have grief counseling this evening, tomorrow morning, Monday, as long as it's needed. This town pulls together, and it will pull together around this tragedy."
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Family and friends had all good things to say about the high school senior. The family was too distraught to appear on camera.
The school says the tragic news is so sudden, they have not yet planned a service or tribute.
Quirk is the third senior at the school to die this school year.
The trip is now being cut short. The school is working with the tour operator to bring the students and staff back home.
