CanterburyMay drowningvictim identified

Authorities identified Tuesday the 27-year-old man who drowned in the Merrimack River off Pebble Beach more than two months ago.

New Hampshire Marine Patrol said Albert Ntangri, a Manchester resident, was one of two victims on May 30. Ntangri’s immediate family members were not in the United States at the time of his death and difficult to reach in the weeks since, Marine Patrol told the Monitor previously.

Pamela Usanase, 21, of Concord also drowned that day after being overwhelmed by the river’s strong current, her family said. Usanase, who graduated from Concord High School in 2017, was a senior at Plymouth State and a solider in the New Hampshire National Guard 3643rd Brigade Support Battalion.

The double drowning at Pebble Beach was one of several incidents in the Merrimack River this summer. A near-drowning took place in the same spot on the Fourth of July.

Earlier this month, Zach Lacy, 15, of Salisbury drowned while swimming with friends in the river near Oxbow Pond Road in Canterbury, just north of the Hannah Duston Memorial. He was set to begin his junior year at Merrimack Valley High School in Penacook.

The region’s first responders have expressed their concern that fewer recreational options and the closure of many municipal pools due to the new coronavirus have resulted in more people flocking to the Merrimack River, where undercurrents are often unpredictable and a challenge for even experienced swimmers.

They are advising swimmers to wear life vests and to know where they are in relation to key landmarks in case they need to call for help. New signs recently installed at Pebble, Chapman and Riverland beaches in Canterbury urge swimmers to “use extreme caution” and include each beach’s GPS coordinates.

Alyssa Dandrea

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