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Taeho Lee
Claremont student drowns three days before graduation after being caught in a rip current Monday night.
The sign above Claremont High School's Auditorium reads, "The Class of 2006 will always remember Taeho Lee, Rest in Peace Our Friend." And Tuesday night, a few miles away in Bridges Auditorium at the Claremont Colleges, Lee had been ready to accept two awards before he graduated on Thursday. A picture of Lee graced the foyer while students and staff wore blue ribbons, his favorite color. The ceremony, which was held two days before graduation, was dedicated in Lee's honor and a moment of silence was held in his name before the seniors received their awards.
Lee, 18, a South Korean native who lived in Upland, was visiting Huntington State Beach with 10 other Claremont High students when he became submerged in the water and later died at a hospital.
News of the tragedy spread quickly to the campus, which was busy with final exams and seniors preparing for Thursday's commencement. Friends set up a memorial in front of the library. "They've been bringing flowers all morning and sharing memories of him," said Claremont Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Devon Freitas. "They're trying to deal with the situation, which is very, very difficult right now."
Lifeguards came to the shore within minutes after a beachgoer reported seeing a swimmer flailing in the choppy surf at 5:40 p.m. "The lifeguard spotted a victim in the water in a large rip current, struggling," said park superintendent Joseph Milligan.
The lifeguard jumped in the water and pulled 18-year-old Cliff Yuan to safety. Lee had already become submerged in the water, Milligan said. Teams in helicopters and on personal watercraft searched the waters along with a scuba team. A diver found Lee at 6:24 p.m. about 150 yards off shore and pulled him onto a personal watercraft.
Paramedics waiting on shore immediately performed CPR on Lee and took him to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Huntington Beach where he was pronounced dead about an hour later. Yuan also was hospitalized but released the same evening, Milligan said. Milligan said lifeguards were not on duty at the nearest tower because it was during the week and school year. More lifeguards are placed on duty when school lets out for the summer. He encouraged people visiting the beach to swim in front of an open lifeguard tower and ask about existing conditions including areas with recurring rip tides.
Four of Lee's friends gathered around the base of a tree on campus to set up a memorial of pictures and flowers. Among them was Jin Park, an 18-year-old senior who was in the water with Lee just one day earlier. "First of all, I just want to clear up what happened with Taeho," Park said. He continued to talk about the events leading up to Lee's death. "We weren't messing around in the water, we were just swimming when we got into really deep water, the waves were really strong," Park said. As Park headed back to shore for help, Lee turned around to help Yuan and was caught in the rip current as well. "I saw him go under," said Park, who had plans to be Lee's roommate at the University of California, San Diego.
Friends described Lee as being smart as well as funny, making people laugh when they were around him. "He was always smiling," said David Kim, a 17-year-old junior at Claremont High School. "Taeho was an outstanding student who was really well-liked," said Claremont Principal Carrie Allen. "He was such a giving person." Lee was a popular student at the school who was coincidentally featured in an article that appeared in the school's Wolfpacket newspaper Tuesday, Freitas said.
He was preparing to head off to the University of California, San Diego, where he planned to major in biochemistry, said Claremont High School Principal Carrie Allen. "He was very interested in finding a cure for AIDS and HIV," she said.
Lee came to the United States when he was 10 years old and participated in on- and off-campus activities, including the Tae Kwon Do Club and Key Club, according to the school newspaper.
He volunteered at an area soup kitchen weekly and participated in a church mission the summer before his junior year. Lee was a fan of Bruce Lee movies and video games, according to his profile on the Internet Web site, MySpace.com. On Tuesday morning, friends had already posted numerous messages about his death. "I'm (definitely) going to miss you, and I'm (definitely) never going to forget you," wrote one friend. "I hope you can hear me when you're in heaven." Messages were also left at the school's memorial site, some describing him as "too skinny for his own good" while others called him "goody two-shoes." "What an excruciating loss," wrote English teacher Jean Collinsworth. "You were so bright and so deep. I'm sure so many, many friends will be devastated."
Students planned to hold a vigil on campus at 7 tonight and were going to have a tribute to Lee and a moment of silence at graduation, Allen said.
~ The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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