HAMPTON –– One person died and another was rescued after a potential drowning incident at Hampton Beach on Tuesday, Sept. 5, according to the New Hampshire State Police Communications Unit.
The unit received the distress call around 7:30 p.m. from Casey Torname, a 23-year-old Salem resident who was surfing in the area at the time.
Torname managed to rescue one of the swimmers, 28-year-old Luis Colon-De-Lara from Lawrence, before alerting authorities about another swimmer in distress.
Upon arrival, Hampton Fire Department located the missing swimmer, later identified as Wandy Bethancourt-Adames, also of Lawrence.
Despite efforts to revive him, Bethancourt-Adames was pronounced dead at Portsmouth Regional Hospital. Colon-De-Lara was admitted to the same hospital, treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The incident is still under investigation by several agencies including the Hampton Police and Fire Departments, the US Coast Guard, New Hampshire State Beach Patrol, New Hampshire State Police Marine Patrol, and the New Hampshire Medical Examiner’s Office.
Marine Patrol is urging anyone who witnessed the incident or has additional information, to contact Sergeant Nicholas Haroutunian at (603) 227-2112.
