Peekskill's Liony Polonia Santos, 17, 'wanted to achieve greatness' before river tragedy

Liony Polonia Santos had dreams of soccer stardom, college success, family milestones.

His family and friends will not get to see him fulfill those dreams, but if his legacy lives on in his two younger brothers, that would be "the story of a lifetime," his father said.

On Thursday Roy Escobar spoke glowingly about his 17-year-old son, recalling what the teenager had accomplished and what he had hoped to achieve before a holiday tragedy stole what Escobar said was a bright future ahead.

Polonia Santos died in a drowning after swimming in the Delaware River in Sullivan County on the Fourth of July. Polonia Santos, who would have been a senior at Peekskill High School in the fall, was a victim of a dangerous stretch of river that has claimed several lives so far this summer.

Polonia Santos disappeared under the water on Sunday and, after days of family and first responders searching, his body was found on Wednesday.

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The heartbreaking news has left Peekskill mourning the loss of a teenager who "was loved" by the community, his father said.

"He was a great kid," Escobar said. "An excellent son. A good student in school. A hard worker.

"We could see he was an achiever. He had goals in life. He wanted to achieve greatness."

That striving for greatness was dominated by soccer, which Polonia Santos excelled in. As a junior for Peekskill High School's soccer team, he was one of the team's leading scorers during the 2020 season.

The Peekskill school district said its clinical team would be available in the high school cafeteria from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday for anyone who needed support.

"Liony was a PHS athlete and a friend to many of our students, staff and community members," the district said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family during this difficult time."

"We will continue to keep Liony’s family and friends in our hearts," the district added.

"Continuous thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Liony Polonia-Santos #8," Peekskill High School Athletic Director Austin Goldberg tweeted on Wednesday.

Escobar proudly recalled his son's work ethic and dedication to soccer, which rubbed off on Polonia Santos' brothers, who are 13 and 9.

"He has two little brothers that chose the life of soccer because of him, and they just wanted to be the best like their brother," he said.

Polonia Santos had visions of playing Division 1 soccer in college, his father said. But first, he wanted to enjoy the staples of youth, like driving — Escobar said he had just bought a car for his son, who had his learner's permit — and camping with buddies.

Swimming in Sullivan

Escobar said he had never sent his children camping before, but Polonia Santos "was just so thrilled. He wanted the adventure. I said 'sure, no problem. Just promise me you’re going to be safe.' "

"I was just giving my son his liberty," he added.

For the Fourth of July weekend, Polonia Santos went camping with soccer friends and a few parents near the Upper Delaware River in Sullivan County. The river, known for activities like rafting and kayaking, can have dangerous rapids, and that weekend the water was higher and faster than usual after recent rains.

A few of the teenagers went swimming near Cedar Rapids, close to Barryville in the town of Highland, around 5 p.m. Sunday when they began to struggle, according to the National Park Service, which monitors 73 miles of the Upper Delaware River that separates New York from Pennsylvania, from Orange County to Delaware County.

Officials said Polonia Santos and the people he was swimming with were not wearing life jackets, which has been a problem along the Delaware.

Escobar said he guesses his son underestimated the river. Two other swimmers in the group were able to make it safely back to shore, but Polonia Santos vanished under the water.

Dangers on the Delaware

Polonia Santos' death was the fifth fatal drowning in a nine-day span along the Upper Delaware River. There were also two recent deaths at lakes in the area, creating a deadly start to the summer that has local officials calling for people to be safer on the water.

A statement on Thursday announced a team effort from officials in Sullivan County to promote water safety in a series of public service announcement videos that are being shared on social media.

"The PSA is a coordinated effort between state, county and town elected officials, first responders and private enterprise to remind those participating in any water activities, such as boating, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, fishing or swimming to always wear a life jacket or personal flotation device (PFD)," according to the statement. This collaboration involves Highland Town Supervisor Jeff Haas; Yulan Fire Department Assistant Chief Keith Blaut; Rick Lander of Lander's River Trips; Sheriff Mike Schiff, County Clerk Russell Reeves and Chairman of the Legislature Robert Doherty of Sullivan County; and state Sen. Mike Martucci, whose 42nd district includes all of Sullivan County and parts of Orange, Ulster and Delaware counties.

Most of the drownings have been swimming related, officials said, but they urge people to wear life jackets whether they are swimming, rafting, boating or fishing.

“As a first responder and the supervisor for one of our river towns, I see up close the beauty but also the dangers of this body of water," Haas said. "I want residents and people from all over to come here and experience what the river has to offer, but I want them to do so responsibly. Everyone is reminded to please wear your PFD when on the Delaware River."

The river can challenge even the most experienced swimmers with strong currents, slippery surfaces and sudden drop-offs, officials said.

“I put thousands of people on the river each year and the number one thing we tell them is to wear a life jacket at all times," said Lander, whose business operates on the river in Sullivan County. "This is a hazardous river with sudden drop-offs throughout the corridor. Most drownings on the river are swimming related. Those who are not good swimmers should especially wear one, and even those who do not plan to swim should still always wear their life jackets."

Here are some tips from the National Park Service on how to stay safe on the Delaware River:

• Wear a life jacket that is properly fitted and buckled while on the water
• Never swim alone
• Do not try to fight the current
• If you step into deep water, float with the current until you are able to swim toward shore
• Have a life jacket, throw line and first aid kit available
• Walk carefully along the river bank and wear protective footwear
• If your boat capsizes, keep upstream of the boat
• Float on your back with your feet forward and close to the surface
• Never stand up in fast-moving water, so your legs don't become trapped

Matt Spillane covers breaking news throughout the Hudson Valley. Click here for his latest stories. Follow him on Twitter @MattSpillane. Check out our latest subscription offers here.