Witnesses said a 17-year-old boy dove into the water and never resurfaced July 9 at Quarry Park and Nature Preserve, Waite Park. He was found dead more than four hours later.
The victim has been identified as Emmanuel Seward Jr., 17, of Brooklyn Center. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office has determined the cause of death to be accidental drowning.
On July 9 at around 4:21 p.m., the Stearns County Emergency Communication Center received a 911 call about a possible drowning at Quarry 11 inside Quarry Park and Nature Preserve, located in the City of Waite Park.
When emergency personnel arrived, witnesses said the boy had jumped off a 10-foot-high cliff, into the water and never resurfaced. Witnesses attempted to dive into the water but were not able to locate him.
Members of the Stearns/Benton Dive Team, along with the Waite Park and St. Cloud fire departments, deployed boats and started searching the quarry. At approximately 8:45 p.m. the victim was located in 31 feet of water.
The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Waite Park Police Department, St. Joseph Police Department, Waite Park Fire Department, St. Cloud Fire Department, Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service and the Stearns/Benton Dive Team.
