Two Dead After Drownings In Orange County

By Mrs. I. Perl

Over the weekend, two separate drowning incidents happened in Orange County, leaving both victims dead. 

The first incident occurred at 11:45am on Saturday at Turkey Hill Pond in the Town of Highlands area of Harriman State Park. A 22-year-old male on a hike in the park with a friend decided to cool off in the water. The young man quickly went under and didn’t resurface. Search crews responded, and he was found floating around 20 feet from the shore and pronounced dead at the scene. 

The second incident took place at 4pm later that afternoon at Walton Lake in Monroe. New York State Police said a 36-year-old man from Plainview was sitting alone on an inflatable paddle board about 40 feet from shore when he lost his balance and fell into water. He struggled briefly before going under and was pulled out of the water by nearby witnesses, who performed CPR. The victim was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead. 

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