Bodies Of 2 Livingston Students Recovered After Drowning – Livingston, NJ Patch

The bodies of two 17-year-olds, a boy and a girl, were recovered from a New Jersey lake after they drowned, state authorities confirmed Wednesday morning.

The two drowned in Ramapo Lake in Oakland during Tuesday evening’s storm, and their bodies were both recovered hours later, said Caryn Shinske, a state Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson.

The 17-year-old girl was from Livingston and the 17-year-old boy was from Newark, state officials said. The DEP will not be releasing the victims’ names because they are juveniles.

The Livingston Public School District told Patch that the teens were both Livingston students. According to school administrators:

“Livingston Public Schools confirms that the tragedy in Oakland, NJ on Tuesday, August 7 involved two Livingston High School students that would have been senior in September – a 17-year female and an 18-year old male. Our district is providing counseling services and resources for students, staff and families in our community.”

On Tuesday, State Park Police responded to a report from the Ringwood Police department of two possible drownings at the lake, which is in the Ramapo State Forest, around 7 p.m., Shinske said.

The Oakland dive team, and Oakland, Ringwood, and Wanaque police officers went to the scene, along with State Park Police officers.

Divers recovered the teenagers’ bodies late Tuesday night, Shinske said.

The Passaic County Medical Examiner examined the bodies at the scene.

The first body was recovered just before 9 p.m., Oakland Mayor Linda Schwager confirmed to News12 nearly three hours after they apparently went underwater. Schwager did not respond to a phone message and email Wednesday morning.

Schwager said reports indicated the female had been in trouble while in the water and that the male jumped in to help her before both drowned, according to nj.com. “It’s what we’re hearing (from the police) but it’s still early on and everything is sketchy right now,” she told the publication.

At least 25 people have now died in water-related incidents in New Jersey since May. Read more: At Least 25 NJ Water Deaths Since May As Tragic Trend Continues

This is a developing story. Patch will have more information as it comes in.

With reporting by Dan Hubbard, Patch staff. Updated with reporting by Eric Kiefer, Patch staff.