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Alexander "Alex" Schambelan, of Hewitt, was swimming at the beach in Playa Del Carmen with his parents, Josephine and Sean, on Tuesday, July 18, when Josephine noticed Alex face down in the water, according to a GoFundMe launched for the family.
"She gave him a push and called out to him; then another, and another," reads the page, launched by Josephine's coworker, Bianka Reyes. "She grabbed him by his trunks to propel him toward the shore.
"The lifeguard saw what was happening and in a flash was there to get Alex back on the beach. CPR was started, but to the shock and horror of all who were watching, it was not water that came out of Alex's mouth and nose, but foam."
An autopsy found Alex's heart had stopped while he was in the water, with no other explanation offered, the GoFundMe says.
"But all the reasons and explanations in the world will not bring Alex back and all the words that can be said will not ease Jo and Sean's suffering," Reyes writes "We hope, then, to at least alleviate the economic burden this has placed on the family."
Alex was a student at West Milford High School, and being remembered as a talented artist who showed his teachers the upmost respect.
Services were held at the D’Agostino Funeral Home, with burial at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Butler.
Click here to donate to Josephine and Sean Schambelan.
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