A rising 14-year-old baseball prospect from the Dominican Republic drowned in a lagoon near one of the country’s top academies. 

The body of Gustavo Talmare, who hit four home runs to earn the 2024 Caribbean Kids Series MVP, was found dead 40 minutes from the academy on Saturday, according to Diaro Libre.

Talmare went missing after he went swimming in Guerra’s Laguna del Toro on Friday night, and rescue efforts spilled into the morning.

It remains unclear what happened, but a police investigation is underway. 

“I was devastated to learn about it,” Amaurys Nina, a prominent youth coach and the academy’s owner, told 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.”

Talmare, who had only lived at the academy for two months, was said to have struggled to swim after he was one of three academy students — from a group of five — who decided to leave the facility without permission and swim in the lagoon, academy officials told Diario Libre. 

Talamare went reaching for fruit in the lagoon and fell in, according to DeUltimoMinuto.com.

One companion’s efforts to save Talamare were unsuccessful as Talamare lost oxygen and could not get out of the water.

His death was ruled a “asphyxiation by immersion,” or drowning.

His parents are asking for more information.

Talmare’s mother, María Esther Pimentel, disputed the academy’s version of the events to DeUltimoMinuto, claiming her son would not be one to be “naughty” and break the rules by leaving on his own.

She also said the family had taught him how to swim.

He was described by one scout to Diario Libre as someone who had “promise” and improved his skills “exponentially” over the past year.

Nina called Talmare a player who was “very disciplined and obedient.”