Source: Facebook

Costa Rica is a favorite “study abroad” destination for higher education students from the United States, particularly those interested in the scientific, Spanish language, social work, medical, and political science fields. Although Costa Rica is considered a safe nation for U.S. students, tragic incidents and accidents have taken place. An unfortunate 2012 drowning of a New York student in Bahia Ballena inspired a U.S. lawmaker to take action.

Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney has represented New York’s 18th district in the U.S. House of Representatives since being elected in late 2012; during a recent visit to Vassar College, he announced that he is pursuing a bill to protect students who choose to travel abroad as part of their academic endeavor.

In a Facebook update, Congressman Maloney explained:

Today, I announced that I will be introducing legislation to protect college students who are studying abroad. The Ravi Thackurdeen Safe Students Study Abroad Act would require institutes of higher education to report crimes that occur while a student is studying abroad, as well as show that they have adopted and implemented a program to protect students participating in an approved study abroad program from crime and harm.

I began working on this legislation after the widely-reported death of 20-year-old Newburgh student Ravi Thackurdeen, who drowned while studying abroad in Costa Rica. I was joined today by Ravi’s mother, Newburgh resident Ros Thackurdeen, as well as Kingston resident Noelle Damon, a trauma therapist who lost her daughter Zoe while studying abroad.

The announcement comes days before another unfortunate drowning of a U.S. college student in our country. As recently reported by ICR News, sister publication of The Costa Rica Star:

The body of Deon Greene, a 21-year-old US exchange student from North Carolina, was discovered floating not far from the shore of Playa Linda in Matapalo de Quepos minutes before 11 a.m. on Friday.

Greene had been missing since around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday after apparently being swept away by a riptide while swimming at the same beach.