On Friday, July 18th at approximately 5:36pm the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit responded to a report of a drowning at the Becket Quarry, Becket MA.
A preliminary investigations has revealed that the victim, a male in his 20s, and a woman, were swimming across the quarry. The male began to struggle and quickly submerged under the water. The woman and others who were on the shore at the time, attempted to locate and rescue the victim. They were unsuccessful.
Members from multiple Berkshire County dive teams responded to the scene. In addition to a physical search, the dive teams utilized an underwater rover to assist. The rover successfully located the victim’s body, however, the rover experienced a malfunction and returned to the surface. Due to the malfunction of the rover, and the nigh-time visibility conditions, the dive team terminated recovery efforts for the night. On Saturday, July 19th the dive teams from the Massachusetts State Police, the Western Massachusetts Technical Resource Team and the Environmental Police returned to the Quarry and recovered the victim’s body.
District Attorney Shugrue stated, “Based on statements from individuals who witnessed the drowning, the victim went under the water in a matter of seconds. The Berkshires have experienced a number of drownings, from children to adults, in the past few years. It is of critical importance to respect the danger that water presents. In this hot weather, I urge all residents to practice safety and vigilance while swimming in lakes, rivers and pools. Even strong swimmers must take safety precautions in the water.”