Drowning victim identified as Watervliet High student
The victim of a tragic drowning in Watervliet on Monday has been identified as 16-year-old Matthew Billetts, an 11th grader at Watervliet High School.
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Police say the teen suffered some sort of medical emergency while fishing with a friend, falling into the river.
A Watervliet police officer – along with two city firefighters – jumped into the water immediately to attempt to locate Matthew, but were unsuccessful.
Members of the New York State Police Underwater Recovery Team found him a short time later. Sadly, lifesaving measures were also unsuccessful.
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On the school district’s website, one of Matt’s teachers wrote, "Matt was one of the kindest, most joyful, funny students I’ve ever had. His death is a tremendous loss to the Watervliet Junior Senior High School Community."
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Also, a message from Tim Delisle on the Board of Education read: "Matt was a fixture in our community. You could always see him smiling, and riding his bike. He loved freeze pops at Brotherhood Park and had a great laugh."
Finally, one person summed up a universal sentiment writing: "Our community is hurting."
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A vigil to celebrate the life of Matthew was set for 7 p.m. Tuesday evening, at the high school’s football field.