The N.J. teen who drowned in Alcyon Lake was competing in a scavenger hunt that went ‘astray,’ his family said

A Pitman High School student who drowned in Alcyon Lake was competing in a senior class scavenger hunt challenge that went “astray,” according to his family.

Victor Rodriguez, 18, drowned on Sunday while attempting to swim across the lake, his older brother Pablo said in a post for a GoFundMe drive organized by his family. As of Wednesday evening, more than $55,000 in donations had been received to pay for his funeral.

His body was pulled from the lake Monday afternoon after a 17-hour search. Authorities said the search was hampered by tall vegetation in the lake, which is 10 feet at its deepest point.

Pitman Police Chief Dan McAteer acknowledged several students have said Rodriguez was involved in the scavenger hunt, but he said authorities “are still gathering information and facts and investigating.”

“The investigation is still ongoing so I can’t say what is being considered at this point,” the chief said.

Interim School Superintendent Steven Crispin said the annual scavenger hunt is not sponsored by the Gloucester County district, and Mayor Michael L. Razze told NJ Advance Media it was not sanctioned by the borough.

“It’s something that has been done by our students for many years … as they prepare to graduate from the high school,” Razze told the news outlet.

A former student who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the senior class organizes the annual scavenger hunt days before graduation by distributing a list of about 150 challenges, including pranks such as kissing a stranger or someone’s mother, eating a raw egg, or ringing the doorbell of a teacher who lives in Pitman and running away.

The scavenger hunt is carried out on a single day by five-member teams who earn points for executing the tasks, the former student said. The team must provide a photograph or video as proof, the student said.

Swimming across Alcyon Lake provided the most points, the student said. The teams could pick and choose from the challenges and send one member of the team for the lake swim. The hunt is typically held from 7 p.m. to midnight.

“We grew up around that lake. No one saw it as dangerous,” the former student said.

McAteer said Rodriguez swam about halfway across the lake when he went underwater. Another student who was with Rodriguez tried unsuccessfully to save him, McAteer said.

Another bystander also tried to rescue Rodriguez and returned to the shore and called 911. Patrols arrived at 8:42 p.m., the chief said.

Swimming is prohibited in Alcyon Lake, once contaminated by runoff from the Lipari landfill, one of the worst toxic dumps in the county. The waterway is surrounded by a recreational area that includes playgrounds and picnic areas.

The drowning left a cloud over the final days of the school year. Pitman High canceled tests scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. Graduation was slated for Wednesday night.

Rodriguez was remembered as a standout wrestler who transferred to Pitman this year after attending Deptford High School for three years. His family said in the GoFundMe post they wanted to “give him the best funeral possible.”

“Wrestlers stick together, our prayers for this amazing wrestler and his family~ May he rest in peace,” the Notre Dame High School wrestling program wrote on the GoFundMe page.

A viewing was scheduled for Friday from noon to 3 p.m. at Gardner Funeral Home, 126 S. Black Horse Pike in Runnemede, followed by a celebration of life at 3 p.m. at the funeral home. Interment will be private.