'Absolute Joy': Brothers Who Died In 'Jaws Bridge' Incident Remembered

MARTHA'S VINEYARD, MA — The two brothers involved in a fatal swimming accident this week near the "Jaws bridge" on Martha's Vineyard are being remembered by locals who knew them for their "charismatic personalities, unshakeable faith and unrelenting positive attitude."

Tavaris and Tavaughn Bulgin were part of a group of four who went swimming off the American Legion Bridge Sunday night. Tavaughn Bulgin, 21, is presumed dead, although police had to call off a search for his body Wednesday due to weather. Tavaris Bulgin, 26, was found dead Monday morning.

Doug Abdelnour, owner of the Oak Bluffs restaurant where the brothers were working this summer, started a GoFundMe fundraiser for Tavaris and Tavaughn's family Wednesday. By Thursday morning, donations totaled over $140,000.

The funds will help relatives pay to transport the brothers back home to Jamaica.

"Tavaris was well known as a beloved school teacher, and Tavaughn was known to be a musical prodigy and gifted soccer/football player. Both boys were destined to make an impact in every community they served and every endeavor they pursued," Abdelnour wrote.

Tavaris Bulgin was a graduate of the University of Technology in Jamaica, and Tavaughn was a student at the University of West Indies, according to the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper.

"Their enthusiasm for life, commitment to God and their church, and impact on their community are how family and friends remember them," the fundraiser said. "They leave an unforgettable mark on the community of Martha's Vineyard, their hometown of Clarendon and the entire country of Jamaica."