Teen’s body found after family saw him vanish while swimming at picnic, PA officials say

A teen vanished underwater while swimming at a family picnic, park rangers said. Now his body’s been found.

The boy from Elizabeth, New Jersey, was swimming in the Delaware River on Sunday, July 24, the National Park Service said. He was at a picnic area in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, which is in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with his family when he disappeared underwater.

“Family members saw him go under the water,” the National Park Service said in a news release.

Family members called for help at about 2:15 p.m., according to park rangers. Officials rushed to the area and began a search and recovery operation.

The boy’s body was found at about 3:30 p.m., rangers said.

“This is the second drowning in the park this year,” officials said. “Neither victim was wearing a life jacket. Both were swimming in the river.”

More than 100 people have drowned in the Delaware Water Gap park since 1971. Most of those people weren’t wearing a life jacket when they died, according to the National Park Service.

“The Delaware River has a swift current and an uneven bottom making it easy for one to suddenly get in over their heads and get caught in the swift current below the surface,” officials said.

Park officials said visitors can take these steps to stay safe if they’re trying to cool off:

• Wear a life jacket

• Stay near the shore in shallow water

• Avoid swimming near rapids

• Swim at beaches with lifeguards

• Assign someone to keep an eye on everyone

“We can’t say it enough: wearing a properly fitted and fastened life jacket is the number one way that folks can keep themselves safe while swimming in the Delaware River,” Dustin Gunderson, dive team leader, said in the news release.

This story was originally published July 25, 2022 at 1:50 PM with the headline "Teen’s body found after family saw him vanish while swimming at picnic, PA officials say."