Africa trek tragedy
A MANHATTAN high school student on a cultural immersion trip to Tanzania drowned in a hotel pool Friday on the last day of her service assignment, her devastated mom told the Daily News.
Laniece Moore, 15, traveled to Africa earlier this month to deliver school supplies and help rebuild Nshara Ufundi Primary School on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, mom Felita (Nicole) Moore said.
After a group of students on her Kids n’ Culture program went for a swim together, Laniece returned to the pool alone.
Her mom said it was comforting to know Laniece — a student at Thurgood Marshall Academy in Harlem, died doing something she loved — helping others.
“We’re holding up off the love, but I know this Thursday will be hard,” her mom said. “She's supposed to be flying back in, and I’m going to be there like she’s coming home alive,” her mom said. “I’m just waiting for my baby to come home.” She said support from her r daughter’s school and scores of f teens reaching out was helping the e family cope.
“I’m learning she was like a counselor to lots of other kids, tell- ing them to stay in school and respect their moms. It really touches me to hear that from people,” she said.
She said Laniece’s younger r brother Lionel, who turned 8 Monday, was taking the loss of his only sibling particularly hard.
“We tried to celebrate, but he e didn’t get the one present he reallyy wanted. He didn’t get his sister r back,” she said.
In a series of Facebook posts, Laniece gushed about the kids she was helping.
“We are so fortunate & havee not even realized it. People gett made fun of not having enough for a pair of sneakers in NY, but the kids I met wear the same sneakers everyday and wear them w/pride,” she wrote in a Feb. 15 5 post.