Students Mourn Death of Teen Who Drowned in Charles River

A vigil was held on Saturday night in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for a teenager who drowned in the Charles River after jumping off a footbridge.

Witnesses said Tyler Greene, 18, of Dallas, Georgia, went into the water at about 8:10 p.m. after jumping off the John W. Weeks Bridge and did not resurface. He was found by divers with the Cambridge Fire Department a short time later and pronounced dead at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Authorities said they were investigating the incident but that it appeared Greene's death was accidental.

Greene had been a student at Harvard Summer School where classmates gathered at the scene earlier in the day to mourn his loss.

"It's horrific," said Emily Hartman, of Chicago, Illinois. "It's tragic. My thoughts go out to his family and friends knowing that their child died so many miles away. It's heartbreaking."

Students said jumping off the bridge has become a tradition.

"Two of my friends did it before they left campus," said student Samantha Nevile.

One Cambridge man told necn that he's aware of the tradition but said he feels it's time for it to stop.

"This is so unnecessary it's unbelievable," said the man. People should get the word out, especially Harvard and nobody should be jumping off this bridge."

Harvard students gathered for a vigil on campus Saturday afternoon but the media was not invited.

In an email to students, Sandra Naddaff, Dean of Harvard Summer School, released a statement on Greene's death:

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Tyler's family and friends in this difficult time," read part of the statement.