New Jersey

Teen Goes Missing After Swimming in Marsh in Hamilton Township

Officials say the 17-year-old boy went swimming with three other teens in the Hamilton-Trenton Marsh near Westcott Avenue around 4:50 p.m. Wednesday when they were pulled by a strong current.

Crews have recovered the body of a teen boy who went missing while swimming with three other boys in a marsh in Hamilton Township, Mercer County.

Officials on Thursday made the discovery one day after the boy disappeared while swimming with three other teens in Hamilton Township.

Officials say the 17-year-old boy went swimming with three other teens in the Hamilton-Trenton Marsh near Westcott Avenue around 4:50 p.m. Wednesday following a storm when they were pulled by a strong current. The three other teens were able to swim to safety but the 17-year-old boy went underwater.

"The current was so heavy that it took him," Jarod Tatarek, one of the teens said. "I reached out to try to grab him. We were like this and since the current was so strong it took him away from my hand. He went down and going under, coming up gasping for air, going back down, coming up gasping for air. Then when he went around the corner I lost the sight of him." 

Responding firefighters and the Hamilton Swift Water Rescue team immediately searched for the teen in the water. Four hours later, the search ended for the day. . 

The teen attended Hamilton Township High School. While Wednesday was the last day of classes, the Hamilton Township School superintendent said counselors will be available for students who want to come in Thursday.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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