CCSU says 21-year-old man who drowned in CT reservoir was rising junior

A 21-year-old man who drowned in a reservoir in Oxford last week was set to enter his junior year at Central Connecticut State University this fall, the school said on Monday.

A 21-year-old man who drowned in a reservoir in Oxford last week was set to enter his junior year at Central Connecticut State University this fall, the school said in a release on Monday.

Kai Thomas Boapeah died from an accidental drowning at the Seymour Reservoir No. 2 in Oxford on June 20, according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Police and firefighters responded to the reservoir for reports of a swimmer who had gone underwater and did not resurface, DEEP said.

Boapeah was recovered by a dive team but was unconscious and unresponsive. He was declared dead at the scene “following a period of CPR,” according to DEEP.

CCSU issued a statement Monday on the loss of Boapeah, who the school said was studying computer science.

“We are very saddened to share this tragic news.  Please keep Kai’s family in your thoughts and prayers. The Central community extends its sincere thanks to the first responders who courageously tried to save his life,” said CCSU president Dr. Zulma Toro.

The university said friends from the Africana Student Organization at the school described him as “a very talented musician and kind person.”

DEEP officials said Boapeah has ties to Ghana, Africa, and had been residing with friends in Waterbury.

The department said the reservoir he was in at the time of his death is not a designated swimming area.

His death is under investigation by Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police.