Red Cross Workers Find Spanish Teacher’s Body

Red Cross rescue workers on June 16 found the body of a U.S. high-school Spanish teacher who drowned along with three U.S. teenagers pulled out to sea by strong currents at Palo Seco Beach, on the central Pacific coast, June 10, according to Red Cross spokesman Daniel Vanegas.

The body of Brett Carlson, 26, was found 500 meters from a rescue station workers established during the search, Vanegas said. The bodies of two of the students – Danielle Tongier, 18 and Andrew Harpstrite, 17, were found June 10 and June 11, respectively, and a massive search by Costa Rican Red Cross, Coast Guard, Civil Aviation and Public Security Ministry authorities led to the discovery of the body of Jessica Pierce, 17, on June 13 as rescue workers continued searching for Carlson.

Carlson accompanied a group of 10 former and current students from Labette County High School in Altamonte, Kansas who were here on a language-immersion trip (TT, June 16).

More than 1,600 friends and family members of the four victims attended a memorial service in Parsons, Kansas, June 16; they shared memories and photos and released colorful balloons into the sky to celebrate their lives, according to the Kansas daily The Wichita Eagle.