Before the accident happened, Corey had raised $100,000 in Nantucket Island for ALS charity in honor of his friend, Pete Frates, who inspired the Ice Bucket Challenge sensation.
- Aug 19, 2014
AceShowbiz - Corey Griffin, one of the pioneers who made Ice Bucket Challenge go viral, passed away on early Saturday, August 16 in Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. He was 27. Nantucket Police Department confirmed the sad news in a press release.
In the press release posted on Facebook, the police department said, "On August 16, 2014 at 2:00 AM, the Nantucket Police Department received a report of a man missing in the harbor after diving from a building on Straight Wharf. Responding officers determined the missing person was Corey C Griffin."
According to the press release, at around 02.00 A.M. Corey dived off the Juice Guys building at 44 Straight Wharf into the water and drowned. At first, he "floated to the surface" but "then went under water again not resurfacing." An off-duty lifeguard rushed to rescue him from the bottom of the harbor. Officers tried to save him by doing CPR before the fire department sent him to Nantucket Cottage Hospital. He was pronounced dead at 03.00 A.M.
Corey's father Robert Griffin said of his son, "He was the happiest guy in the world. He called me last night and told me he was in paradise."
Pete Frates, Corey's friend and the person with ALS who inspired the Ice Bucket Challenge, paid tribute to Corey on Facebook. Pete wrote, "Team FrateTrain lost a good friend today, Corey Griffin. Helping out was nothing new for Griff. He held his own event for me back in 2012, just a few months after diagnosis."
"He worked his butt off these last few weeks for ALS. We texted everyday, planning and scheming ways to raise funds and plan events," he continued. "Julie, myself, the Frates family and Team FrateTrain sends their love and support to the South Shore and the Griffin family. God Bless. RIP Corey."
ALS Association also paid tribute to Corey. They said in a statement, "This is a terrible tragedy and our hearts go out to the Griffin and Frates families. We commend Corey for his exemplary efforts for raising awareness and funding to fight ALS."
The latest celebrity who takes the Ice Bucket Challenge is Ben Affleck. The "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" actor took to Facebook to share a video of him wearing a Detroit shirt. He said in the video, "Okay, so Tyler Perry called me out and so I'm going to take the challenge. I'm also going to make a donation. I guess I have to pick four other people. My people are going to be folks who I know from firsthand experience look good in a wet t-shirt."
He added, "The first one is Jimmy Kimmel. Second one is Neil Patrick Harris. Third one is Matt Damon. And the fourth is the lady with the bucket!" Soon after that, his wife Jennifer Garner appeared and poured a bucket of ice on him. Ben then pushed Jennifer and they jumped together into the swimming pool behind them. Their children can be heard laughing in the background.
