Gustavo Talmare, a 14-year-old baseball prospect at one of the Dominican Republic’s top academies, has died from drowning at a lagoon near the facility.
The MVP of the 2024 Caribbean Kids Series disappeared while swimming in Laguna del Toro in the province of Guerra on Friday night. Rescue efforts continued until Saturday morning, when his body was discovered about 40 minutes from the academy, according to Diaro Libre.
Amaurys Nina, a prominent youth baseball coach and owner of the eponymous academy, said it’s unclear what happened, but police are investigating.
‘I was devastated to learn about it,’ Nina said, as quoted by DeUltimoMinuto.com. ‘The body was recovered by a rescue organization, but I still don’t understand what it was doing there. The authorities are investigating what happened.’
Diario Libre was told by academy officials that five youth players left the facility without permission. Three of the five decided to swim in the lagoon, including Talmare, who struggled to stay afloat.
A companion tried to save him, Diaro Libre reported, but the boy ran out of oxygen and needed to get out of the water.
Talmare won MVP honors at the Caribbean Kids Series in Panama after homering five times
One scout said Talmare had gone through a recent growth spurt, making him a top prospect
Talmare became a name in Dominican youth baseball circles after an impressive 2023 season
The Dominican National Police report lists his death as asphyxiation by immersion (drowning) and indicates he fell into the lagoon while looking for fruit, according to DeUltimoMinuto.com.
Talmare hit four home runs during last year’s Caribbean Kids Series in Panama before wining tournament MVP honors.
‘He had promise,’ one scout told Diario Libre. ‘He was the MVP of the 2024 Caribbean Kids Series, he had grown, and his skills had grown exponentially over the last year.’
Baltazar and María Talmare are calling on authorities to find answers to how, exactly, their son was found drowned in the lagoon.
‘I need more information,’ Balthazar told Diario Libre.
Nina described Talmare as one of his favorite players and one who was ‘very disciplined and obedient,’ Diario Libre reported.
