CEDAR GROVE, N.J. (1010 WINS) -- A teen drowned over the weekend after diving into the Devil's Hole ravine in Essex County's Peckman River, according to Cedar Grove's police department.
The 18-year-old man was last with friends at 6 p.m. on Saturday, on the rocky outcroppings around Devil's Hole, authorities said. He jumped into the water and didn't resurface.
Despite the best efforts of Cedar Grove's police, fire department, and EMS, the boy was pronounced dead on the way to a local hospital.
The victim has not been identified at this time.
Five years ago, Cedar Grove government passed an ordinance against trespassing into public waters, including Devil's Hole. This law was enforced in part because of the 2014 drowning of another 18-year old in the ravine.
Devil's Hole is crossed by a bridge along a trail in Cedar Grove Community Park. Its craggy floor makes it extremely difficult to judge safe landing spots, and its fast currents are often contaminated by runoff from nearby sewage treatment plants in Cedar Grove and Verona.
However, the warnings against trespassing have only further encouraged thrill-seeking teens to jump into the water. Devil's Hole has remained an "attractive nuisance" in North Jersey for the last decade, with several teenagers filming their cliff dives into the most hazardous part of Peckman River.
Though extra fencing would prevent easy access to the ravine, the scenery that Devil's Hole provides has dissuaded Cedar Grove lawmakers from completely barring it up.
Thomas Tucci, former Cedar Grove Township manager and current chairman of Passaic Valley Sewerage, once justified the measures taken around Devil's Hole by describing it as "...a natural area to look at, not swim in."
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