SURFSIDE BEACH, Texas — The family of Joshua Lahai, the 11-year-old boy who drowned at Surfside Beach during a Memorial Day weekend trip, has launched a GoFundMe to help cover funeral and burial expenses.
The fundraiser was organized by Joshua’s brother, Peter Lahai, and is described as a memorial fund to help the family with burial costs and immediate financial burdens following the child’s sudden death.
Joshua disappeared Sunday while visiting Surfside Beach with his youth football team, family and friends. He was in the water when a large wave swept through the area, and he did not resurface.
His body was recovered Tuesday after a dayslong search involving Surfside Beach police, Texas EquuSearch, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies.
The GoFundMe says the family is heartbroken after losing Joshua, describing the tragedy as sudden and devastating. The fundraiser states that donations will go toward giving Joshua a respectful farewell and helping the family handle immediate expenses.
The fundraiser had raised more than $27,000 as of the latest publicly available total.
Joshua was a fifth-grade student at Juan Seguin Elementary in Fort Bend ISD. He had been at the beach with members of the Southwest Broncos, a youth football team from the Fort Bend area.
The tragedy has drawn support from across the Houston area, Fort Bend County and the Gulf Coast community as friends, relatives, teammates and strangers have shared condolences and contributed to the fundraiser.
The incident also renewed concerns about water safety at Surfside Beach, where Gulf conditions can change quickly and swimmers may face strong currents, waves and sudden drop-offs.
Surfside Beach does not have lifeguards stationed along the beach, and visitors are urged to use caution before entering the water.
For Joshua’s family, the fundraiser is now focused on honoring his memory and helping them through the days ahead.
This story may be updated if additional information from the family, school, team or local officials becomes available.
Comments (0)