Family of 19-year-old swimmer last seen in ocean in Miami Beach to hold memorial service
The family of a 19-year-old swimmer who vanished in a Miami Beach rip current last Saturday night will hold a memorial service at the place he was last seen.
Victor Castaneda disappeared around 6 p.m. while swimming at South Pointe Beach with his younger sister, when the strong current began to pull them out. As they struggled in the water, he shouted for help, and bystanders were able to rescue his sister. However, they were unable to reach Victor, his older sister Jessica Castaneda told NBC 6.
Jessica shared that in a final act, Victor pushed his sister toward shore, ensuring her safety.
“My brother died a hero,” she told the station.
Victor Castaneda still remained a missing person as of Thursday, according to Officer Christopher Bess, spokesman for the Miami Beach Police Department.
READ MORE: Search continues for teen last seen swimming in Miami Beach
Miami Beach Fire Rescue, which was the lead agency in the case, turned it over to the police, said department spokeswoman Lissi Hernandez on Tuesday.
In a Facebook post, Jessica Castaneda announced that a memorial service for Victor will be at 4:30 p.m. Saturday on the sands of South Pointe Beach at the tip of Miami Beach, marking one week since his disappearance.
“The pain I’m left with is insurmountable,” she wrote. “My heart is completely and irreparably shattered. Your absence will never be accepted. No words could ever describe how much I love you, Victor.”
Victor graduated from Somerset Academy Charter High School in Princeton in south Miami-Dade.
In a separate Instagram tribute, Victor’s other older sister, Chloe, remembered him as “the best part of this family.”
“A hero—life has a way of taking the best people,” she wrote. “There was a time when he was all that kept this family going. Pure, genuine, so full of life.”
A GoFundMe page has been started to help the family. It has raised over $16,000 of its $50,000 goal.
Miami Herald staff writer David Goodhue contributed to this report.