The drowning of a Stamford man in the city's harbor last week was accidental, police announced Monday, although they are still investigating why he was in the water and what caused him to go under.

Rasheed Hines was a 34-year-old artist. Family members say he was free-spirited and helped raise his nieces and nephews while taking care of his mother.

Police said witnesses saw him wade into the Long Island Sound Friday around noon. He began to struggle, and authorities later retrieved his body from the East Branch.

Relatives say Hines began drawing at 4 years old. He eventually graduated from the J.M. Wright Technical High School in Stamford, where he studied graphic design. He went on to the New York School of Visual Arts and got a bachelor's degree in cartooning.

"He would draw from sunup to sundown," says Debra Hines, his mother. "That was his passion."

A GoFundMe campaign is underway to help the family with his burial.