Heartbroken Friend: Drowning Victim Was a ‘Good Man’

On the last night of the holiday weekend, a group of people had come to visit their friend Luis Cansel and enjoy an evening on the cool waters of a pond in Bedford. The night ended in tragedy, after a canoe carrying three friends capsized, said Cansel, who was swimming close to shore.

Two of the men, Elvin and Walter Perez, made it back to shore. Elvin's brother, 28-year-old Biron Perez, drowned.

"We all went down to the water for a swim, and Elvin, Walter and Biron went out in the boat. We heard them call for help, and my girlfriend called 911 from her cell phone," said Cansel, who is the caretaker of the home of Sara and Samuel Pryor III at 357 Greenwich Road in Bedford.

While they called the police, Elvin and Walter Perez were able to swim back to shore safely, added Cansel. But Biron Perez never made it back.

Bedford Police Lieutenant Robert Mazurak confirmed that the 911 call came in from a cell phone around 7 p.m. Bedford Police Officers Lenahan, Callahan and Santo Curro were dispatched to the scene, as were the Bedford Fire Department and the Yorktown and Greenwich Fire Department Diver teams.

"The process worked very well, and within 15 minutes the body was found and brought to shore," Mazurak told Patch. "It was an unfortunate accident," he said.

According to police reports, the three men were about 12 feet from shore in water that was about 12-14 feet deep.

Perez was brought to Northern Westchester Hospital via the Katonah Bedford Hills Ambulance Corps and was pronounced dead at 8:37 p.m.

The Westchester Medical Examiner's Office said the investigation into the accident is still pending. Alcohol and foul play are so far not considered as factors in the accident, according to Mazurak.

The Pryors are on vacation but have been notified about the drowning, according to their housekeeper, Anna, who did not want to give her last name.

"We were so sorry. He was a very nice man. I wish there was something I could do," said Cansel.