Memorial service held for Peekskill teen who drowned in Delaware River
News 12 Staff
Updated on: Jul 14, 2021, 2:29pm
A memorial service was held for the Peekskill teen who drowned in the Delaware River.
Loved ones gathered to remember and honor the life of 17-year-old Liony Santos at the Joseph F. Nardone Funeral Home on Washington Street in Peekskill.
The teen was swept away while swimming in the river at Cedar Rapids on July 4.
He was the fifth person to drown in the river in a two-week period.
News 12 spoke with Liony s dad, Roy Escobar, who said Liony was the oldest of three boys and had the mindset very early in life that he wanted to be somebody. He says he wanted to buy his father a house one day and support his family.
The heartbreaking news has left Peekskill mourning the loss of a teenager who was loved by the community, his father said. He was a great kid, Escobar said. An excellent son. A good student in school. A hard worker. We could see he was an achiever. He had goals in life. He wanted to achieve greatness.
That striving for greatness was dominated by soccer, which Polonia Santos excelled in. As a junior for Peekskill High School s soccer team, he was one of the team s leading scorers during the 2020 season.
The Peekskill school district said its clinical team would be available in the high school cafeteria from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday for anyone who needed support.
Liony Polonia Santos of Peekskill drowned in Delaware River lohud.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from lohud.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Peekskill teen missing after swimming in Delaware River on Fourth of July
News 12 Staff
Updated on: Jul 07, 2021, 2:23am
A family in Peekskill is desperately searching for a 17-year-old who went missing while swimming in the Delaware River.
Roy Escobar says his son Liony Polonia Santos was with friends camping at Cedar Rapids in Sullivan County.
Escobar says he has been told his son was swimming with friends on the Fourth of July when he was swept away.
Another teen was saved, but Santos is still missing.
Sullivan County first responders have been searching for Santos, and Escobar has been searching along the banks of the campsite for the last 48 hours.