47°
Earlier this year, one person drowned at the same, privately-owned former mining property in Ocean County.
The incident occurred Saturday evening, when the utility terrain vehicle overturned and became submerged in 25 feet of water -- James Grover, 62, still attached by his seatbelt, NJ.com reports.
Grover was pronounced dead at the scene, and authorities believe he drowned, the article says.
Two other occupants and the driver were able to escape, and none were hospitalized, law enforcement officials said.
Several videos of Crystal Lake began popping up over the summer on social video-sharing platform TikTok, calling the spot a "hidden gem."
A Manchester Township police spokesperson warned, though, the water can be "very unpredictable and dangerously unstable."
"Those entering the water will quickly realize that after taking a few steps in the soft, unstable sand that the shoreline ‘shelf’ quickly drops off to depths that exceed 60 feet," the spokesperson wrote.
"Some estimates have the largest ‘lake’ on the property as being up to 300 feet deep."
The Ocean County prosecutor’s office, county sheriff’s office and Manchester police were investigating the incident.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Essex and receive free news updates.
