A 16-year-old male died Tuesday after jumping into a waterfall in New York, according to local authorities.
The teenager was swimming with a group of friends when he and another friend decided to jump off the ledge at the top of Fawn’s Leap, a waterfall and swimming hole in Brooklyn, New York, according to a Wednesday press release from authorities. They both landed at the base of the falls and were unable to swim due to the hydraulic current being “too strong for them to swim out of,” the release stated.
A swimmer was able to spot the pair struggling and successfully assist the 16-year-old’s friend but could not save the teenager, according to the release. (RELATED: 3-Year-Old Girl Dies After Falling Down 400-Foot Waterfall In North Carolina)
A group of divers from the State Police, Sheriff’s Office and Athens Fire Department recovered the teen’s body. The teen, whose identity remains unknown, was pronounced dead at the scene around 3:30 p.m. following the response by authorities.
This incident marked the third rescue effort at Fawn’s Leap in just over two weeks, according to the Times Union. On July 26, two rescue teams were sent to save an injured person on the bank of the Fawn’s Leap swimming hole, the newspaper reported. On July 25, 16 individuals had to be saved from the combination of two swimming holes, including Fawn’s Leap, after a local creek rose rapidly trapping the group.
“The roadway was closed for approximately two hours during rescue/recovery efforts. The investigation is continuing,” the press release concluded.