AN aspiring baseball player has died at the age of 14 after drowning in a tragic incident.
Tributes have been paid to the teenage star from the Dominican Republic.
Gustavo Talmare died after drowning in a lagoon in the Dominican Republic[/caption]
Gustavo Talmare went missing after going swimming on Friday night, reports said.
His body was found Saturday next to one of the country’s top baseball academies.
The 14-year-old went swimming at Laguna del Toro in Guerra.
He played at the nearby Amaurys Nina Academy in Santa Domingo, where he lived for two months.
Deultimominuto reported that he played a practice game Friday afternoon before going to the lagoon with four friends.
The Dominican National Police said in a preliminary report that he died of drowning.
It says that he fell into the lagoon while searching for fruit.
One of his companions tried to save Talmare but was unsuccessful.
Relief efforts lasted all night and included the Dominican Air Force as well as emergency services.
His death was ruled as “asphyxiation by immersion.”
A police investigation is underway.
The academy’s owner Amaurys Nina was left “devastated” by the news.
The coach said, “This is a devastating moment.
“Gustavo wasn’t just a promising talent; he was a young man full of dreams and human qualities that made him very special to everyone.
“On behalf of the Amaurys Nina Academy, we send our deepest condolences and our deepest solidarity to his parents, family, and friends during this very painful time.
Talmare was one of the nation’s top baseball rising stars.
He was named Most Valuable Player in the 2024 Caribbean Kids Series.
The teen also excelled in the 2023 U12 World Cup and was a potential future Major League Baseball prospect.
His mom Maria Esther Pimental said, “My son wasn’t a naughty child; he was polite, disciplined, and calm.
“He never left the living room for anywhere but his room. He wouldn’t break any walls or jump into the water.
“Besides, he knew how to swim; we had trained him for that.”
