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Friends and Family Look for Meaning in Drowning Death of Rockaway Beach Man

By Katie Honan | September 10, 2015 7:29am
 Denise Greig said she's trying to find meaning in the Aug. 19 death of her only son, Darius Vinson.
Denise Greig said she's trying to find meaning in the Aug. 19 death of her only son, Darius Vinson.
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DNAinfo/Katie Honan

ROCKAWAY BEACH — The day in mid-August when Darius Vinson drowned had begun with a grand hope: the 26-year-old had gone hiking, intent on discovering his purpose in life. 

He'd left his home in Rockaway Beach on Aug. 19 with one of his best friends, Kye Weaver.

Weaver, 32, had proposed the impromptu day trip to the Delaware Water Gap on the New Jersey and Pennsylvania border that morning — tempting Vinson with a significant selling-point, according to Vinson's mother, Denise Greig. 

Weaver had bought a four-hour audiobook of Paulo Coelho's novel “The Alchemist,” which was one of Vinson’s favorite books. The book, written in 1988, tells the story of Santiago, a young shepherd who sets off on a journey to find his "personal legend" — his unique path toward his destiny. 

Weaver knew that Vinson was searching for his path, too, and proposed they listen to the first two hours on the ride down and finish the rest on the ride back home.

After leaving Vinson's house on Beach 95th Street, the two drove in near silence listening to the book through New York and New Jersey, Weaver said. 

"We bonded over things in 'The Alchemist,'" said Weaver, a New York City public school teacher. They both valued their relationships and wanted to excel, but Vinson was still figuring out how he could do it.

He had recently graduated from John Jay College for the second time, this time with a degree in law that he hoped would boost his application to Columbia Law School, his mom said.

His grades the first time around weren't high enough, she added, and he'd been changed by experiences since his first time as an undergrad to pursue something different. 

A photo of Darius Vinson taken for his graduation from John Jay College. 

In 2010, Vinson was arrested and charged with burglary and assault after what Greig said was a misunderstanding with his ex-girlfriend's father. Vinson studied the law, represented himself in court — and was acquitted, she said. 

But he saw how the justice system worked, and became more interested in helping others get through it.

"Darius said, 'If this could happen to me, it could happen to other people,'" she said. 

Throughout his life he'd excelled at many things — in track at Westinghouse High School and as an amateur boxer. He and his cousin Kenyatta Harris later created their own boxing gym, Rockaway Ropes, at the Ocean Bay Houses.

His last internship was with the Red Hook Community Justice Center, where he worked with parolees to help them get back on track. His title was "peacemaker," and it seemed to fit into what he enjoyed doing best, according to Greig.

“I told him, ‘There’s something out there, you have to find your passion,'" Greig said.  

This summer he started that search, Greig said. He told her the hiking trip would help him clear his head.

At the top of the Delaware Water Gap, Weaver and Vinson hiked the 3 miles down, enjoying the serenity and discussing aspects of life, Weaver said.

Kye Weaver and Darius Vinson in an undated photo. (Courtesy Kye Weaver.)

At the bottom was the Delaware River, where a group of swimmers swung from a rope that dangled from a tree.

Vinson — an avid swimmer who had recently taken up surfing — told Weaver he wanted to try it.

“There’s nothing saying anything bad is going to happen,” Weaver said, adding that there weren't signs noting the river's danger or to wear a life jacket. (Calls to the National Parks Service for comment were not returned.)

Vinson swung three to four times, jumping off into the river. On his final try he tried to swing further, and got caught in the current.

“Forty-five seconds into it, he starts yelling for help,” Weaver said.

Weaver, a trained lifeguard, jumped into the water to try to save him. The water was only knee-high where he stood and he tried running to get to Vinson.

“I yelled to him, ‘Darius, float, just float, just float,” he said. “He goes under again — and that was the last time I saw him.”

Since 2010, more than 30 people have drowned at the Delaware Water Gap, according to a report published by NJ.com weeks before Vinson's death.

None of the victims, including Vinson, was wearing a life jacket.

Mike Atheras, a firefighter who helps train his members for water rescues, told NJ.com that the river can be a threat no matter how high or low the water level is.

“When the river's nice and normal it's still dangerous,” he said.

Weaver said he still hoped he'd find his friend somewhere along the river waiting for help. 

Greig did, too, as she and nine other friends and family members drove down later than night to look for him. 

Through the darkness they hiked down the top of the mountain until they reached the bottom where Vinson went under. They used flashlights to search for him along the shore, yelling his name, hoping he was waiting for them.

“I never hiked but that day I hiked three miles,” Greig said.  “All that time I hoped — maybe he’s injured down there. I wasn’t going to leave.”

Vinson's girlfriend, Raveenga Perera, also believed he was alive along the shoreline.

“I thought he was somewhere inland,” she said. "He was always a fighter."

The next day a dive team found Vinson's body 800 feet from where Weaver last saw him. He was buried a week later, and his family and friends are now looking for meaning in their loss.

“Am I supposed to do something about this? Do something in the hopes that it doesn’t happen again?" Greig said the day after her son's funeral.

She said she may get involved to help others recognize the dangers of the Delaware River, with more signs and awareness.

Vinson was always pushing her, and had recently discussed helping her train for the New York City Marathon.

In his honor, she said she plans to run in 2017.

“I learned so much from him — in life, in death."

Weaver said he listened to the last two hours of "The Alchemist" on the way home to New York. 

It took on a whole new meaning, especially as he looks to grow from the loss of his friend — who was just starting to show traces of who he could be.

"The only regret — it's not that I didn’t get to him, not that he went in the water," he said. "I regret not being able to know the man he would become."