A cliff jump at a popular Catskills swimming hole turned tragic on Monday when a 15-year-old boy from Brooklyn drowned at Fawn’s Leap waterfall in the town of Hunter, Greene County, authorities said. The teen jumped from a lower ledge into the pool below, where the hydraulic current at the base of the falls was too strong for him to swim out.
A New York State forest ranger reached the teen in the water, pulled him to shore, and emergency crews immediately began life-saving efforts. He was taken to Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson, where he was later pronounced dead, according to officials.
According to News10, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office said the boy had been in the water for more than 20 minutes before rescuers could get to him. Three friends tried to reach him in the pool but were forced back by the conditions and could not safely pull him out. The sheriff’s office said an autopsy is scheduled and that the investigation into the circumstances of the drowning is ongoing.
Popular spot, repeated danger
Fawn’s Leap is a well-known, unsanctioned swimming hole on Kaaterskill Creek, a spot that draws visitors for its cliff jumps and postcard views. It is also a place first responders know all too well. Local reporting has documented multiple rescues and at least one prior fatality tied to the site’s powerful hydraulic currents and steep, unforgiving ledges…