Long Island man drowned on Upper Delaware River over Labor Day Weekend
Another man has drowned in the Upper Delaware River. The incident over Labor Day Weekend a mile and half below the Roebling Bridge in Barryville, NY was only one week after another drowning incident in the Upper Delaware, near Pond Eddy.
In the latest incident, New York State Police identified the victim to be Ricardo Ismalej Xujar, age 47, from Flanders, Long Island, NY.
On Saturday, September 3, a group of family and friends from Flanders went into the river to go for a swim. They had been at Landers Minisink Campground in the Town of Highland for the holiday weekend.
Xujar entered the river at just before 1:30 p.m. and attempted to swim across when he became fatigued and went under the water and did not resurface, State Police said in the report from the preliminary investigation. Xujar was located at approximately 6:43 p.m. and was pronounced deceased by a Town of Highland Ambulance Paramedic.
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The National Park Service, Sullivan County Dive Task Force, Matamoras Dive Team, along with the Yulan, Shohola, and Sparrowbush Fire Departments responded to the scene.
Xujar was observed in the main channel of the river where the current is swift with steep drop offs. The individual, who was not wearing life jacket, was observed in distress. While bystanders tried to assist the individual, the individual was observed going under the water.
The emergency call came in around 1:29 p.m.: "National Park Service Law Enforcement Rangers and other emergency crews quickly responded to the scene but unfortunately it was too late," the Park Service report states.
This makes the second drowning in the park this year.
The Park Service points out that of the 76 drownings in the Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River since 1980, 57% were related to swimming and none of the victims were wearing a properly fitted and fastened lifejacket at the time of their death.
Another person drowned trying to swim in the Delaware on August 10, just beyond the Park Service boundary near the river access at Sparrowbush, NY.
"The Upper Delaware River can look very deceiving on the surface especially when the water levels are low. Surface waters can appear to be placid but underneath the current can be strong and swift and can cause people to panic when they find themselves in the river’s powerful current," the Park Service said.
The Park Service continued: "Drop offs may not be visible to those wading in the water until they find themselves in the deep rapidly moving waters of the river. To prevent someone from becoming a statistic park staff recommend that all river users always wear a properly fitted life jacket at all times when on or near the river and especially when swimming. It is the one piece of safety equipment that will save a life when worn properly and is in good condition.
"Please remember to wear a life jacket not only for yourself but for your friends and family. This one thing can make all the difference in the world to those you love and those who love you," they advised.
Lander's River Trips stresses the importance of wearing a life jacket when going out on their river, as part of river safety messages posted on their website.
To learn more about how to make your next visit to the park a safe one, visit go.nps.gov/River Safety.
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Man drowns on Upper Delaware north of Barryville, NY; 2nd in one week
