On Friday night, Raniel fell into the Delaware River during a fishing trip with two adults and another child. One of the adults, Raniel's uncle, 43-year-old Hector Rosa, died trying to rescue Raniel. His body was discovered Saturday.
Earlier on Friday, Action News cameras captured footage of the foursome heading off on their fishing trip.
On Saturday, Raniel's mother, Cathy Castillo, asked to see the videotape.
Cathy clung to her 8-year-old daughter and did what any mother would do after seeing the last images of her only son - cried.
Surrounded by grief stricken friends and family, Raniel's cousin, Vanessa Hernandez, explained her cousin wasn't safe after making the deadly decision to take off his lifejacket after the foursome left the docks.
"He was playing in the water and he fell and Hector tried to help him but Hector couldn't," Vanessa said.
Vanessa calls Hector a hero.
"Hector gave his life trying to help him; Hector showed that he was a hero," Vanessa said.
The other adult on the boat who survived also tried to save the boy.
"The guy threw the rope at him, but it was too late," Vanessa said.
His's girlfriend and Raneil's mother tried to console each other, while Hector's daughter, far too young to understand, looked on.
Her father's body was pulled from the river on a holiday meant for celebrations, but in this North Philadelphia home there was nothing but sadness, and pictures of a handsome boy who was suddenly gone.
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