‘He was my everything’: Boy who drowned in Brookings pond remembered for smile, generosity

The body of Molu Zarpeleh, 10, who was reported missing last Thursday night, was recovered from a privately-owned retention pond along 12th Street South around 8:40 a.m. Friday after authorities searched the pond, according to a new release from the City of Brookings.

A tip that Zarpeleh had been pushed into the pond that circulated on social media has been redacted by the tipster, said Chelsea Bakken, public information officer for the City of Brookings. Investigators also reported that tips they received Friday related to circumstances surrounding the incident were not true but won’t state why. Police are ignoring it and ruling it an “accidental drowning but his mother says differently. 

“A 10-year-old boy would not just take his sandals off and walk into the water,” she said. “He didn’t know how to swim.”

Brookings police and the Brookings Fire Department searched for Zarpeleh until about 2:30 a.m. Friday before the search was stopped due to safety concerns, poor lighting and murky water, the release states. Searchers used pumps from Brookings Municipal Utilities and Brookings County to remove about 300,000 gallons of water from the pond during the resumed search Friday morning

“Molu died, but I can’t say ‘was’ yet,” Mole said. “He’s my first child. He’s my only son. I don’t want to use the word ‘was.’ I can’t imagine him not living.”

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DONATE HERE (The local Lutheran Church in Brookings is giving all donations to the family)

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