Pasco middle school student dies in rafting accident

A Pasco middle school student drowned Saturday in a rafting accident on upper Klickitat River near Glenwood in Klickitat County.

Jezell Barrera, 14, was an eighth-grade student at McLoughlin Middle School, where she was a member of the jazz band and a cheerleader.

“She was an amazing cheer sister and made sure everyone on the team didn’t feel left out and made sure that everyone tried her best,” said a post on the Pasco Youth Football Cheer Facebook page.

Jezell was born in Richland, the daughter of Francisco Barrera and Mergen Bucio, and was a lifelong resident of the Tri-Cities.

She was part of a family group that took two rafts out on the Klickitat River on Saturday, said David Quesnel, Klickitat County coroner.

The raft she was on hit an underwater log and flipped, he said. She was wearing a life jacket but evidently became trapped underwater, he said.

The Goldendale Sentinel reported that people on the second raft were able to pull her from the water.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help with funeral expenses. More than $14,000 had been raised by Wednesday.

Counselors at McLoughlin Middle School and teachers have reached out to classmates to offer support. The school’s jazz band met in a Zoom session and discussed her contribution to the band this week, said a school spokesman.

A candlelight vigil and balloon release was planned Wednesday, June 10, at Desert Dunes Park in Pasco.

This story was originally published June 10, 2020 at 5:25 PM.