The State College Area School District community is mourning the loss of a junior foreign exchange student who accidentally drowned Tuesday in North Carolina.

Sirawich “Jo” Chanthaburanan, a Rotary Youth Exchange student from Thailand, was visiting the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Frisco, N.C.

According to reports, he drowned in the ocean off Frisco Beach. The Coast Guard found his body Tuesday. Chanthaburanan’s family in Thailand and his host families in State College have been notified. The school informed faculty, students and parents Wednesday morning and arranged for additional support counselors.

District Director of Student Services Jeanne Knouse released the following statement:

“We have been in contact with the host families and share in their loss. There is no way to prepare for such a tragedy, and saying goodbye to a child, a student, a friend and/or a classmate is a very sad and hard thing to do. As a district, we express our deepest condolences to Jo’s family in Thailand and his host families. We will continue to provide counseling at the high school and support to anyone who having difficulty coping with this tragedy.”