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Earl Giver Essien was found unresponsive at Benedict Pond at Beartown State Forest in Great Barrington just before 2 p.m. on July 17. Police and witnesses pulled her from the water to perform CPR before paramedics rushed her to Fairview Hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead.
Pittsfield Schools Superintendent Joseph Curtis said the rising eighth-grader at Herberg Middle School's "bright light shone brilliantly in every aspect of her life" during the Monday, July 22, school board meeting.
Herberg Middle School Principal William Wood called Giver's death a "profound loss" in a note to parents last week announcing that the school would have grief counselors available to those who needed them to process the tragedy.
Earl Giver was nicknamed Giver, which is what she was, loved ones said.
Friends of Giver's family created a GoFundMe to help cover the cost of her funeral. The campaign has raised more than $20,000, nearly double its original goal, as of Wednesday, July 24.
Click here to learn more about the fundraiser.
Great Barrington police are investigating the circumstances surrounding Essien's drowning.
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