Nigerian teenager dies in US drowning accident

Nigerian teenager dies in US drowning accident

Calistus Anyichie

Nigerian-American Binghamton basketball player, Calistus Anyichie, drowned Sunday. He was 19. The school made the announcement Monday morning, and coach Tommy Dempsey expressed his sorrow on Twitter.

“There are no words …” Dempsey wrote. “There is no blueprint for how to deal with such a painful loss. We all loved Calistus so much. He was such a special young man. We are devastated.”

According to multiple reports, Anyichie’s body was found at the base of a 15-foot bank in Buttermilk Falls State Park near Ithaca, N.Y. First responders needed to use a rope system to pull his body from the ravine.

His death is under investigation.

The 6-foot-9 Anyichie, a Nigeria native who attended high school in New Jersey, was entering his second year at Binghamton. He was a political science major.

In the 2018-19 season, the forward appeared in 32 games for the Bearcats, averaging 1.9 points and 2.1 rebounds in 9.1 minutes.

“A talented young person has been tragically taken from us,” Binghamton president Harvey Stenger said in a statement. “This is a heartbreaking loss for our community. We will do all that we can to be there for his family, for the team and everyone who knew Calistus.”

–Field Level Media