Girl Drowns Day Before 18th Birthday While on Trip with Her Mom: 'It Was Supposed to Be the Best Weekend'

Abigail Adams
·3 min read
Go Fund Me for Danielle Marceline Girl Drowns
Go Fund Me for Danielle Marceline Girl Drowns

GoFundMe

A New York teenager died just before her 18th birthday on what was supposed to be a fun trip south with her mom and friend.

Danielle Marceline was vacationing in Florida over the weekend when she drowned while swimming in the ocean, according to the Lansingburgh Central School District, which she previously attended.

The 17-year-old was in Cocoa Beach on Saturday when she was swept away by the current, the Cocoa Beach Police Department said in a statement on Sunday.

Her friend, Mary Doyle, "was rescued by the lifeguards," the school district wrote in a letter on Monday.

Police said lifeguards were not able to help Danielle because she "was carried further out by the strong current."

Her body was found on the beach early Sunday morning.

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The teen girls were visiting Florida with Danielle's mother Christine Marceline to celebrate her daughter's 18th birthday, which would have been on Sunday.

"This was supposed to be an amazing mother-daughter weekend. It was something she always wanted," Christine told The Times Union. "It was supposed to be the best weekend of her life and it took her life away."

A GoFundMe set up to support the Marceline family's funeral and memorial costs. More than $35,000 has been raised as of midday Wednesday.

"This is a tragic loss for her family and friends," wrote the Hunter family, which created the online fundraiser.

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Danielle was a senior at Catholic High in Troy, where she transferred following her sophomore year, according to the Union.

Lansingburgh Central School District said teachers remembered the former athlete as "an absolute pleasure to have in class" who brought "smiles to those around her."

"This is a tragedy that impacts every member of the school community," said Giovanni Virgiglio, superintendent of schools at Albany Diocesan School Board, per the Union's report.

In addition to being a high school athlete, Danielle was also a dancer. She spent four years training at the Art in Motion Dance Academy on Everett Road in Colonie, according to NBC affiliate WNYT.

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Andrea DiDio, owner of AMDA, told the outlet that Danielle "a charismatic dancer"  who was well-versed in hip-hop.

"You could tell while she was performing, she exuded her love and passion for dance," DiDio explained. "When she took the stage, the energy that came out of her when she performed was unlike any other."

Counselors have been made available at schools in both districts impacted by Danielle's death, per the reports.

A memorial benefit dinner will be held at Jimmy's Pizza in Lansingburgh on Tuesday, with a portion of the proceeds going toward supporting Danielle's family, according to WNYT.

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