Nantucket: Co-founder of ALS Ice Bucket Challenge viral sensation, Corey Griffin, died in a diving accident in Nantucket. Â The 27-year-old was a friend of Pete Frates, who inspired the challenge.
Griffin accidentally drowned after diving from a building in the early hours of Saturday morning.  “Witness stated Griffin had jumped off the Juice Guys building, at 44 Straight Wharf, into the water where he floated to the surface. Griffin then went under water again not resurfacing†the police revealed. After an off-duty lifeguard rescued him, he was taken to Nantucket Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Boston College and Babson College hockey player attended a fundraiser for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) raising $US100, 000 for the research just before he died.
He was friends with former Boston College baseball player Pete Frates, who motivated the launch of the ice-bucket challenge to raise awareness and funds for charity. Twenty-nine-year-old Frates was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease, also known as ALS, in 2012. The movement has taken off around the country recently, with numerous athletes taking part in the challenge, in which they dunk a bucket of ice water on their head, challenge others to do the same (usually within 24 hours), record the event, and then post the video to social media. According to the ALS Association’s website, the organization has raised more than $13 million.