Vince was a protector; Stephen, a free spirit. Vince gave advice; Stephen, a good laugh. Vince was a big brother; Stephen, the youngest of four.

Those close to Vincent and Stephen Pitcher said the traits that endeared them to friends and relatives throughout life also played out Tuesday afternoon when the Dormont brothers' yearly camping trip to the Allegheny National Forest turned tragic.

With their father and friends, they planned to fish on the Allegheny Reservoir near the James Morrison Bridge, a three-year tradition, their grandfather Charles Pitcher said yesterday. Their father, John Pitcher, set out in a small fishing boat to find a prime spot to cast a line. Stephen, 19, the daredevil, he said, climbed atop the bridge and told his companions he planned to jump into the water, 75 feet below.

"A friend said, 'I don't think that's a good idea,'" said Charles, who wasn't on the trip. "He did it anyway, I think to show off as much as anything."

Stephen was spontaneous like that, friends said. Hanging out with buddies, he'd "pop up out of nowhere" and crack a joke, friend Ashley Cristiano said. He was lighthearted. A "wild child," she said. Charles said Stephen wasn't in school and wasn't working; he was "just kind of hanging out" and enjoying the summer.

"He was a free spirit," said Ms. Cristiano, 19, who had a computer class with the brothers during her freshman year at Keystone Oaks High School in Dormont. "You never knew what he was going to do."

Vincent, they said, was more predictable. Always driven, he had just bought a new car and landed a job as a draftsman, Charles said. He sang in a band, had "a big brother vibe" and, like Stephen, enjoyed bowling and paintball, Ms. Cristiano said.

So when Vincent watched from the shore as Stephen leapt and "hit the water wrong," Charles said, it was no surprise that his older brother dove in after him.

"Vincent seemed to be always looking out for [Stephen]," Charles said.

As Vincent tried to pull Stephen back to land, both brothers disappeared under the water. Rescuers found their bodies seven hours later. Warren County Coroner Jerry Borden ruled the deaths an accident.

Funeral arrangements are pending with Laughlin Memorial Chapel Inc.

Friends and family recalled their closeness to each other and to older brothers Jonathan and Brady. They liked sports, the outdoors. They could make you laugh, or offer you their shoulder.

"It's really a sad thing," Charles said. "They were just average American boys."