An 18-year-old New Jersey student was killed after she was hit by a boat propeller on the Jersey Shore over the weekend, just days before she was set to start at college, officials said.
In an email to PEOPLE on Tuesday, Aug. 27, New Jersey State Police (NJSP) identified the victim as Zeina Mahafzah of Wayne, N.J.
Police said troopers responded to an incident involving a boat in the waters off Sunset Park in Harvey Cedars, N.J., in the late afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 25.
According to a preliminary police investigation, Zeina was on a raft being pulled by the boat.
“While attempting to board the vessel, she was struck by the vessel’s propeller,” NJSP’s statement read, adding that Zeina died after she sustained injuries.
“The incident remains under investigation, and no additional information is available at this time,” NJSP said.
On social media, the Harvey Cedars Police Department described the death as “a tragic boating accident … As the investigation is in its preliminary stages, we ask that you keep the family and community in your thoughts and prayers.”
According to the New York Daily News, Zeina recently graduated from Wayne Hills High School and was slated to begin her academic year at Rutgers University next week.
In a statement to PEOPLE, Rutgers University at Newark confirmed that Zeina was registered for fall 2024 classes.
“The Rutgers-Newark community is devastated by the news of Zeina’s passing, and we are sending our support to the Mahafzah family during this incredibly difficult time,” the school said.
On Monday, Aug. 26, Zeina’s father, Al Mahafzah, posted to Facebook a photo of his daughter and an invitation for family and friends to a prayer and burial service scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 28.
Zeina is survived by her parents and two brothers, according to the invitation
“We pray that Allah accept all the good she has done and raise her to the highest level of Jannah, in heaven, and grant the family patience, during this time,” the invitation reads, in part.
In the Facebook post, Ali wrote, according to a translation: “And we say only what pleases Allah, and to Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return.”
