Montville Seventh-Grader Identified As Drowning Victim

MONTVILLE, NJ — A Montville middle schooler has been identified as the boy who drowned in Lake Vallhalla Wednesday afternoon.

Aaron Melzer, a 12-year-old 7th grader from Lazar Middle School died after a drowning incident, Montville superintendent René Rovtar said on Thursday. "We extend our sincere condolences to Aaron’s family and friends as we keep them in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time. We ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this time," Rovtar said.

Grief counseling will be available for students affected by Melzer's passing, Rovtar said. The Traumatic Loss Coalition will provide grief counselors in the Media Center at Robert R. Lazar Middle School on Friday, June 28th and Monday, July 1 from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Students should enter through the side entrance.

"The death of a student is a difficult event to process and will likely cause a high level of anxiety and distress for many students," Rovtar said. "We encourage you to discuss their thoughts and feelings with them and assist them in working through their grief or concerns. Please also consider monitoring your child’s communications and social media use to further assess their needs."

Officials said Melzer drowned at Lake Valhalla in Montville Wednesday afternoon around 3:30 p.m. Melzer had playing by the docks at the time of the drowning, where the water is about 10 feet deep. He was underwater for 20 minutes before he was rescued, News 12 reported.

Lifeguards were watching the lake at the time of the drowning, officials reportedly said. They confirmed that the death is not considered suspicious.