41°
The incident took place around 2:15 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 28 in Sullivan County.
According to Trooper Steven Nevel, troopers from the Liberty barracks responded to White Lake in the town of Bethel for a report of numerous drownings.
A preliminary investigation revealed that a Long Island family from Bellerose in Nassau County began swimming in White Lake at approximately 10 a.m., Nevel said.
Afrid Haider, age 34, was walking in knee-level water when he fell into a 20- to 30-foot deep "ditch" underwater and sunk instantaneously, said family member Alina Gulfraz.
As a result, 18-year-old Basir Amin jumped in from a boat to help rescue and was unable to resurface from the deep underwater ditch, she said.
Soon after, Nasrin Amin went into the water to help rescue. At that point, Nasrin was able to grab one of them but the depth of the lake surpassed her power to rescue and she was also dragged into the depths of the water, Gulfraz said.
"It is crucial to understand that the terrain of the lake made it impossible to predict there could be a 20-30 dip, that after a few feet, goes back to the normal level of a couple of feet," she said. "This property was booked on Airbnb and no caution was given to such drastic changes in terrain."
All three victims were recovered by responding divers from the Bethel Fire Department and provided emergency medical treatment before being transported to a hospital, Nevel said.
Nasrin has been transferred to NYU Langone where she is on life support, the family says.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family cover funeral and medical expenses. To date, $93,000 of a $150,000 goal has been raised.
To donate to GoFundMe, click here.
This remains a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Tappan-Blauvelt and receive free news updates.
