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Former college hockey player dies in diving accident after raising $100K for ALS

Hours after he finished raising over $100,000 for ALS research, former Boston College and Babson College hockey player Corey Griffin died in a diving accident in Nantucket.

According to a police press release, "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." An off-duty lifeguard, who was nearby, managed to rescue the 27-year old from the bottom of the harbor. After attempting to resuscitate him, he was taken to Nantucket Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Griffin, a Director of Strategic Initiatives at RANE in New York, was good friends with Pete Frates, the man whose battle with ALS helped launch the Ice Bucket Challenge.

From the Boston Globe:

Corey Griffin’s family and friends said he was in Nantucket to do more fund-raising for ALS research. Robert Griffin said his son was tortured by his friend Frates’s ordeal with the incurable neurodegenerative disease, and had urged him to come visit Frates in their Friday night phone call.

“He was so happy to be able to help him,” Robert Griffin said.

The fundraising campaign has raised over $4 million nationwide since the end of July, nearly $3 million more than was raised during the same time period a year ago.

Griffin was a freshman forward on the 2006-07 Eagles team that featured current NHLers Nathan Gerbe, Cory Schneider and Brian Boyle. He then transferred to Babson College where he played parts of three seasons.

Said Boston College head coach Jerry York in a statement: "We were extremely shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Corey. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends." Babson College echoed those sentiments in a Tweet saying, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Corey Griffin '10.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Griffin Family. There are no words."

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!