18-year-old drowns in Gloucester quarry
GLOUCESTER – An 18-year-old man died Wednesday after he was pulled from the water at a Gloucester quarry.
It happened around 1:15 p.m. at the quarry off Hickory Street in the Lanesville section of Gloucester.
Police began performing free dives in the water in search of the missing swimming. He was pulled from the water after about two hours.
"They made several dives, deep dives, just free dives, in an attempt to locate the missing male. They were unsuccessful. I know that's tough for them to be thinking about right now. We could all imagine diving in that deep water. It's murky, there's zero visibility, they didn't have any special dive gear or masks or anything like that. I think that's frustrating," Gloucester Police Chief Edward Conley said.
Rescuers attempted CPR, but the man was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
Micah Dean, who lives near the mouth of the trail, said people are injured at the quarry frequently. "This is the first death since I've lived here, but people get injured all the time."
Conley said that the quarry is not a designated swim area in the city. "You have to be cognizant of the risks of entering the water, especially here in the quarry area. This is not the place that is monitored by the city of Gloucester. We don't have lifeguards here. This is a public area for people to hike in. It's not really a designated swim area."
The victim, who was not from Gloucester, jumped off a rock with a friend, went under and did not resurface. Police said they are still investigating, but do not suspect foul play.
The victim's identity is being withheld pending notification of the family.
