Body of teen recovered from Candlewood Lake
NEW MILFORD — Gray balloons with handwritten messages of love and support lay on the ground outside the home of 17year-old Joshua Dasilva, whose body was recovered Wednesday from Candlewood Lake.
Dasilva, a New Milford resident and student at Henry Abbott Technical High School in Danbury, had been swimming near Dike Point Recreation Area on Memorial Day when his friends realized he was missing.
Crews, including New Milford police and a volunteer search-and-rescue dive team from Newtown, started searching during daylight hours Monday and Dasilva’s body was pulled from the water around noon Wednesday.
A neighbor remembered Dasilva as smart and polite.
“I think he was really going to go far in school, in college,” said a neighbor, who asked to be anonymous.
Loved ones rushed to Gerard’s Waters Edge Marina, where crews were staged, less than an an hour after he was found and they followed officials to the side of the marina. When they returned to their car, a woman and a girl sobbed and appeared to wipe away tears.
In a Facebook post written in Portuguese before he was found, Joshua’s mother, Eliane Dasilva, said, “I’m feeling so much pain that I can barely keep up ... my son's body is missing …”
She went on to ask God to “give me back his body” for one last hug.
The message on one of the star-shaped balloons at he house read: “Just please give me a sign that you’re okay.”
Dasilva had two younger sisters and enjoyed playing basketball with friends at Young’s Field, said the neighbor, who has lived next door to the family for about six years.
“He spent a lot of his time taking care of the younger ones when his mom was working,” she said.
Eliane Dasilva is a single mother who runs a cleaning business, the neighbor said. “She works hard,” the neighbor said.
Dasilva had been celebrating Memorial Day with friends at Dike Point Recreation Area. The teens had been swimming near Rock Island, where the water is 20 to 30 feet deep, police said.
“No swimming” signs are posted throughout the park, which is owned by FirstLight Power Resources.
“Our hearts go out to the family of the victim,” said Len Greene, spokesman for FirstLight Power Resources, which also owns Candlewood Lake.
Crews spent hours Monday looking for Dasilva and halted the search after darkness fell. Police said the murky waters might have hindered the search.
The search resumed Tuesday and turned into a recovery operation for the boy’s body, with boats with search dogs scanning the waters and shoreline south of Gerard’s Waters Edge Marina.
“I want to thank all of the crews and volunteers in our town for their support in helping to bring some closure to the family so they can begin the grieving process,” said New Milford Police Lt. Lawrence Ash.
“It’s been a tough few days for a lot of people,” Ash said. “We hope the family can move forward.”
Support has been available for students at Henry Abbott Tech since Tuesday, the school said in a statement.
“The crisis team has been providing counseling support to students and anyone in the school community who may need it throughout the day with specific attention to the school’s trade area of the
missing student,” the statement said. “They will continue to be available throughout the week and will seek additional counseling support from the state Department of Education and other tech schools if necessary.”
New Milford High School’s principal and guidance staff have been available all week to help and speak with students who grew up with the teen and know him, said Superintendent Stephen Tracy.
“Our hearts go out to the family,” Tracy said. “It’s a tragedy for all involved. It’s a sad day for New Milford.”