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The body of Wilson Atz-Roldan of Suffern was found Sunday in the water under the NY State Thruway bridge where Lake Antrim turns into the Mahwah River in Suffern, just off Route 202.
An employee of Kinchley's Tavern in Ramsey, Atz-Roldan had gone missing more than a month earlier.
"Wilson was the only family member in the United States with his father," the owners of Kinchley's said. "Now his father has the sad task of sending Wilson back to his native homeland to be buried."
It is expected that his wakes and a funeral, which will be in Suffern, will occur [next week]. Secondary funeral costs to send Wilson home will be almost $10,000."
Kinchley's launched a GoFundMe campaign on Tuesday "to help with these, along with any other incidental fees for burying Wilson, and to help his family," including his mom and five siblings.
"Wilson was a part of the Kinchley’s Tavern Team for almost two years and also worked at the Urban Auto Spa in Ramsey for less than a year," the popular pizzeria restaurant owners said. "He was a hard worker and a good son.
"He was loved by his coworkers and will be greatly missed by all of them."
Every dollar collected will go directly to Wilson’s father, they said.
GO TO: Send Wilson Home (GoFundMe)
Silvia Namnun, who works in the Ramapo Central School District, established her own GoFundMe page on Tuesday “so that his loved ones can give him a proper burial in his native Guatemala.”
GO TO: Helping Wilson's Family
Both campaigns combined had raised nearly $5,000 as of Thursday morning.
Atz-Roldan left his cellphone behind when he left the Moon 59 Bar and Grill on Lafayette Avenue in Suffern around 2:30 a.m. Dec. 21, a Friday, authorities said. That was the last time anyone reported seeing him, village police said in an alert the following week.
He'd been missing for 36 days when his body was found during another in a series of massive searches, this time involving more than 80 volunteers from search and rescue organizations from across New York and New Jersey joined police and crews from Community Search and Rescue (COMMSAR).
Authorities hadn’t yet disclosed how they believe Atz-Roldan died. The results of an autopsy by the Rockland County Medical Examiner were pending.
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