Police Officers Dive In, Save Drowning Boy, 15, In Prospect Park Quarry

PROSPECT PARK, N.J. -- A group of Prospect Park and Haledon police officers jumped into the water in a quarry Saturday night and rescued a drowning 15-year-old boy, authorities said.

P Park Quarry (Lake is on the right).
Photo Credit: *COURTESY: Prospect Park PD*

Jerry DeMarco

04/29/2017 11:35 p.m.

The boy, who lives in Haledon, "jumped off a small ledge into the water and immediataly began struggling to stay afloat" at the P Park Quarry on Planten Avenue around 7:30 p.m., Detective Walter Richmond told Daily Voice.

A group of juveniles he was with called police, Richmond said.

Prospect Park Officers Arthur Canestrino and Jawad Hataf and Haledon Officers Jake Rutkowski, John Bonilla, and Mike Helwani dove into the water and got to the struggling boy, who was about 50 feet from land, he said.

The teen was taken to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson to be evaluated.

The officers were taken there as well, received treatment for minor injuries and were released, Richmond said.

Prospect Park firefighters, Hawthorne Fire Rescue 5 and Passaic County sheriff's officers also responded, he said.

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