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27-year-old man who raised $100,000 for ALS drowns in Nantucket

NANTUCKET, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- A 27-year-old man died early Saturday after apparently drowning in Nantucket.

Corey Griffin of Scituate reportedly dove from a building on Straight Wharf. A witness saw him jump and then float to the surface before going under again.

An off-duty Nantucket lifeguard was called to the scene and made numerous dives until he found Griffin. Griffin was given CPR at the scene and then taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead at 3 a.m.

"H was just having fun like he always does. He was with some of his closest friends," said Griffin's friend Anthony Aiello. "He's been so happy his whole life, but the past dew week's I've never seen him so happy, so at least we know he went out at the top of his life."

Griffin was a former hockey player and more recently a rising star at a New York City start-up company. He recently raised $100,000 for ALS research in honor of his friend Pete Frates, the former Boston College baseball player who inspired the Ice Bucket Challenge which has since gone viral through social media.

"He was so excited about it," Aiello said. "Pete's one of our good friends from BC. Corey was happy to help raise awareness for him, but just as happy as he was to raise awareness for anything else."

Boston Children's Hospital, concussion research, his family and his friends were all among Corey's passions.

Frates left a message on the Team FrateTrain Facebook page about the incident.

"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. Julie, myself, the Frates family and Team FrateTrain sends their love and support to the south shore and the Griffin family.

"I know what his legacy his," said friend Tommy Greeley. He was a best friend to a lot of people. And he was just the most caring guy that any of us have ever met. The best guy in the world."

He leaves behind his parents, brother and sister. The investigation into this incident remains ongoing.