A GoFundMe account has been established for memorial services for the brothers Tavaughn and Tavaris Bulgin, who drowned after jumping off the American Legion Memorial Bridge, also known as the Jaws Bridge, in Massachusetts in the United States. The brothers are being honored for “their bright smiles, charismatic personalities, unshakeable faith and unrelenting positive attitude,” according to the appeal from members of their community. The GoFundMe appeal initially sought US$50,000, but donations have more than quadrupled as over 1,800 people have contributed to the account which is now $222,240 as of the time this article was published.

Tavaughn and Tavaris Bulgin were studying business at the University of Technology in Jamaica and were in the US with the university’s well-known work-and-travel summer program, in which hundreds of university students from Jamaica participate each year.

Their tragic deaths occurred on Sunday, August 14, 2022, when the brothers joined two other program employees for a late-night swim at the Jaws Bridge, a popular destination for tourists. Many people jump from the bridge in spite of posted warnings against doing so as the waters at the location are described as “treacherous,” particularly for less experienced swimmers.

The Massachusetts State Police reported that two of the four individuals who jumped from the bridge at the time reached safety, but police were called in to help find the Bulgin brothers at around midnight. Tavaughn was found early on Monday, August 15, through efforts of the State Police and the US Coast Guard. Tavaris was found on Thursday, August 18, by a shell fisherman.

The Bulgin brothers resided with their family in Clarendon, Jamaica. Their parents, Reverend Keith Bulgin and his wife Jacqueline, were rushed to May Pen Hospital upon hearing of the tragedy.

The brothers’ family members and friends mourned the loss of Tavaughn and Tavaris, but also highlighted their characters on the GoFundMe page, writing, “Tavaris was well known as a beloved schoolteacher, and Tavaughn was known to be a musical prodigy and gifted soccer/football player. Their enthusiasm for life, commitment to God and their church, and impact on their community are how family and friends remember them. Both boys were destined to make an impact in every community they served and every endeavor they pursued.”