NORTH BENNINGTON — It was as tragic as it sounds. A young girl participating in a community-based summer camp suddenly goes missing. There is the start of a frantic search and then, according to witnesses and emergency call records, a devastating 90-minute delay in alerting police and rescue personnel.
It ended with the discovery no one ever wants to see: the unthinkable death of a nine-year-old girl. Through dozens of interviews, the Banner has attempted to piece together the timeline that led to the tragic death of June Cooper, 9, who was, according to a fundraiser page, “a bright light in the lives of everyone who knew her.” The accounts come from several sources.
Most we spoke to did not, understandably, want to give their names on the record due to the tragic nature of what happened and out of respect for all involved, especially the family, and their unthinkable pain. The Our Village Camp is a 6-week summer day camp for children between the ages of 6-12 years old. It is held at Lake Paran in North Bennington five days a week, from 9 a.
m. to 3 p.m.
According to their website, Our Village Camp is “dedicated to providing a safe, inclusive, and enriching summer experience for children in the Village of North Bennington.” Kids utilize Lake Paran for swimming and other activities throughout the course of the summer session. The week of July 15-19, Our Village Camp held a “Wet and Wild” week, which stated, “Dive into the depths of Lake Paran as we explore the wonders of aquatic life! From fishing to dip netting and even canoe rides, there’s endless fun to be had beneath the surface.
Discover the beauty of our local watersheds and get hands-on with exciting water-based activities.” Two separate sources associated with Lake Paran and several parents of kids there that day told the Banner that lifeguards at the lake are usually scheduled for duty between 10:30 a.m.
and 11 a.m. each day.
The sources also stated that some of the kids that day participated in a “seaweed pull contest” to see who could pull the most seaweed from the bottom of the lake. Lake Paran participates in a conservation program called “Save Lake Paran,” a stewardship program aimed at conserving Lake Paran by removing invasive weeds, mostly Milfoil, from the lake. It is unclear if the activity was associated with Save Lake Paran or if it was a separate, unrelated official or unofficial activity during “wet and wild” week.
The most significant part of the events of that day is that several sources told the Banner that the kids were in the chest-deep water grabbing weeds before lifeguards were on duty. An official town source also backed up that account of the kids being in the water before lifeguards were on duty. It should also be noted that some counselors responsible for the kids were middle-school age.
There was a director of the camp and two other individuals in their 20s who were in charge of the kids, but one of the kids in the water that day told his parent that one of his friends told one of the middle-school-aged counselors that he thought that June was missing. According to what the kid reported to his mother after the incident, that warning was ignored. According to a timeline established through interviews with individuals directly involved, monitored police calls, and announcements on social media, June Cooper went missing sometime around 10:30 a.
m. A dog walker walking their pet sometime around 11 noticed several kids gathered on the L-shaped dock without a lifeguard in the chair. “I thought that was very strange and dangerous,” the source told us.
A Bennington Police press release that evening stated that the Bennington PD was alerted to a missing child at 12:12 p.m., over 90 minutes later.
A group that monitors police and fire calls released an alert at 12:40 p.m. stating that there was a missing child at Lake Paran and that authorities had started a search.
Sometime after the police arrival, Matthew Perry, head of Camp Danger and the Vermont Arts Exchange, was in his canoe paddling like he does daily, noticing something in the water inside the buoys in 3-4 feet of water. Perry pulled the body up to the shore. A police scanner reported that resuscitation efforts were underway shortly after.
What happened right before June went missing and what occurred in the ensuing 90 minutes is still under investigation by police and investigators from the Vermont Division of Children and Families. Bennington Police Chief confirmed the investigation and told the Banner he was awaiting a report from the Vermont Medical Examiner as to an official cause of death. Until all of the relevant facts come out in an official report by authorities on the drowning, it is premature to come to any conclusions on who or what, if any, might bear responsibility in a tragic occurrence like this.
The incident is considered a tragic accident right now. "As the Bennington Police Department investigation continues into the untimely death of June Cooper, our thoughts are with the Cooper family, friends and relatives of the Cooper family, the juveniles that were attending the various camps at Lake Paran and their families as well as the staff at the camp," said Bennington Police Chief Paul Doucette. "We appreciate the continued cooperation of everyone involved in this investigation.
This is a difficult time for everyone involved as well as the entire community." Meanwhile, a family and a community continue to mourn the unspeakable loss and question why it happened. Both anger and sadness permeate the conversation, primarily online, as to what transpired last Friday, with an eye toward making sure it can’t ever happen again.
A steady stream of counselors is available from the United Counseling Service of Bennington, “UCS,” to help campers, staff, parents, and any community members who might have been affected by the tragedy. The community has also come together for the victims. "Southwestern Vermont Medical Center and United Counseling Service continue to support the community and first responders while we navigate through this investigation," Doucette said.
"We encourage the community to be supportive during the investigation of this tragic loss. Anyone looking for assistance in dealing with this loss is asked to reach out to United Counseling Service, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center of their family physician." A GoFundMe site to help support the family was set up.
As of press time Monday, the site has raised over $62,000 of a $75,000 goal. The original goal of $50,00 was exceeded early Monday. If you want to donate, The GoFundMe site is.
