Courtesy photo Charlie Zink, 15, is being remembered by family and friends as they mourn his death in a drowning accident on Sunday. (Courtesy photo)

BEDFORD – Charlie Zink loved organizing activities and games everyone could play, ranging from 2-on-2 basketball contests to games of Scrabble, but winning was always secondary to making sure “people could come together and have fun.”

U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, who represents New Hampshire’s First Congressional district, recalled his 15-year-old nephew in a series of social media posts Wednesday, three days after a tragic swimming accident at Bedford’s Sebbins Pond claimed the life of the popular Bedford High School student.

“Charlie dazzled us in infinite ways. He challenged us and taught us so much, he made us laugh … he will forever be in our hearts,” Pappas said.

“There are no words to describe the magnitude of the loss of this amazing 15-year-old or what he meant to all who knew and loved him,” Pappas added.

Charlie Zink, the oldest of Alyssa and Erik Zink’s four children, was pronounced deceased at the scene of the incident, roughly two hours after emergency services were notified via 911 calls that a swimmer failed to surface after dropping into the pond from a rope swing.

Friends swimming with Charlie, along with nearby residents who saw the commotion, began searching the area where he was last seen while awaiting the arrival of first-responders.

Bedford firefighters, who launched two boats, were assisted by state Marine Patrol personnel and members of the Nashua Dive Team in searching for Charlie, efforts that were hampered by poor underwater visibility and impending darkness.

A crew found his body around 9 p.m., officials said.

Shock and sadness set in as word of the tragedy spread through the community late Sunday and early Monday.

Pappas, an owner of The Puritan Backroom, the Manchester landmark restaurant and conference center that his grandfather, Arthur, opened in 1917 as a confectionery shop, is the brother of Alyssa Zink.

Erik Zink, Pappas’s brother-in-law, is the general manager of the family-owned and operated restaurant.

U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, who represents New Hampshire’s Second Congressional district, said in a statement that she, her husband Brad and her staff “were heartbroken to learn that Chris Pappas’s nephew died on Sunday.

“We have reached out to support Chris and his family during this tragic time,” Kuster said, adding that the Pappas family “is beloved by our entire federal delegation, and by constituents across the Granite State.”

Among Pappas’s fondest memories of his nephew is the young man’s reaction to seeing a particular Washington D.C. building for the first time.

“Charlie was awe-struck by the U.S. Capitol building, and all it stands for,” Pappas said. “I’ll always treasure the time I was able to bring him, his brother, and his sisters onto the floor of the House.”

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

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