Newburgh Man Who Drowned in Lifeguard Test Remembered as 'True Champion'

Jake Jakubek, the lifeguard and college swimming star who drowned in Orleans over Memorial Day weekend, was remembered as a "true champion."

Jakubek, 22, of Newburgh, N.Y., died Saturday during a lifeguard test, authorities said.

Jakubek graduated from SUNY Cortland earlier this month. He was a captain on the swimming and diving team and set a school record in the 100-yard breaststroke.

“This news came as a terrible shock," SUNY Cortland President Erik Bitterbaum said in a statement. "Jack was a well-liked and much-respected member of the SUNY Cortland community. He was a true champion in every sense of the word. It is impossible to truly convey how much he will be missed."

Brian Tobin, Jakubek's coach, said the swimmer had big plans for his post-collegiate career.

"He was planning to return to Cortland this fall to pursue his master's degree," Tobin said. "Jack was also going to work with me as a graduate assistant coach.

"Jack visited with me the day after graduation, and we talked about his plans for the summer, the next year and life in general. As he walked to the car, I remember being impressed by how he had everything planned out and put together for himself. It makes an unfathomable event like this even harder to comprehend."

Photo credit: State University of New York at Cortland