A Brooklyn teenager has died in an apparent drowning after authorities say he jumped from a popular waterfall in upstate New York, where officials have made multiple rescues in recent weeks.
The 16-year-old boy, whose name was not publicly released, was swimming Tuesday afternoon with a group of friends at the base of the waterfalls at Fawn’s Leap in the Catskill Mountains when rescuers were called to the scene, the Athens Volunteer Fire Department said in a statement.
The teen and another friend had jumped off the ledge at the top of the falls, and when both teens landed in the water, a hydraulic current prevented them from swimming to safety, officials said.
Another swimmer spotted the struggling teens and jumped into action. The swimmer was able to help one teen to safety, but was unable to reach the other.
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The body of the 16-year-old was recovered after divers from the New York State Police, Green County Sheriff’s Office and Athens Fire Department arrived at the swimming hole.
Officials said the investigation into the apparent drowning is ongoing.
The incident marked the third rescue operation to occur at Fawn’s Leap in a matter of weeks.
On July 26, crews used ropes to rappel down a cliff face to rescue an individual who was injured on the bank of the swimming area, the City of Kingston Fire Department wrote on Facebook at the time.
The department said that a day earlier, first responders rescued 16 people from Fawn’s Leap and the nearby Rat’s Hole on Kaaterskill Creek after becoming trapped when heavy rain flooded the area.
