Mourning continues in a Bolivian community following the drowning deaths of a Compassion-assisted child and church project director. The two were members of the Development Center Chane in Santa Cruz. They were buried Wednesday, June 27, two days after they died in a boating accident on a nearby river. The names of the deceased are in the attached report.  

Though details of the accident are still unclear, Compassion Bolivia staff workers say the accident happened when the director, along with a church project tutor, took more than 20 Compassion-assisted children on a boat ride. The children, ranging in age from 7 to 8 years, requested the trip because the director had taken another group of Compassion-assisted children on the same trip the previous week. Somewhere during the ride, the children and adults went overboard. The director and tutor immediately took action, swimming back and forth to land, rescuing the children. That's when the director realized one child was still missing. He went back into the water to find the child. Tragically, he and the child died. The children who survived, however, are safe and are recovering from their emotional trauma. Also, Compassion Bolivia staff workers say no other children were lost in the accident, as was previously reported. 

Staff workers also say what makes this accident even worse is that the family of the child who died is among those who are still dealing with the aftermath of the flooding in February. The family is still living in a plastic tent. 

It is also important to note the respect and deep affection the church project workers and Compassion-assisted families felt toward the project director. He had served as the church's pastor for the last four years. He assumed the role of church project director just two months ago. Compassion Bolivia workers describe him as an "amazing man who always worked in favor of children." His death is a great loss for his community and all he served.

Please continue to pray for our Compassion family in Bolivia that they may not waver in their faith in God in the wake of this unfortunate event. Also, pray for the families of the deceased that they may be comforted by God's love and assurance as they grieve.  

Compassion Bolivia will provide an update as information becomes available. 

Compassion International will contact you if your sponsored child has been affected.