SHOHOLA, BARRYVILLE – A male victim was confirmed by Town of Highland Supervisor Johnny Pizzolato to have drowned in the Shohola Falls portion of the Delaware River near the Barryville-Shohola Bridge on Sunday, July 7 around 12:40 p.m. The Supervisor said that the male victim, who couldn’t swim, fell out of a raft near the bridge and was not wearing a life jacket. 

New York State Police Troop F Public Information Officer, Steven Nevel, said that State Troopers from the Liberty barracks responded to the report of drowning in the area of 2362 State Route 97 in Pond Eddy. 

Nevel said that the preliminary investigation into the drowning revealed that 37-year-old Chirag Patel of Bensalem, Pennsylvania submerged into the river and did not return to the surface. 

Pizzolato told the Democrat that Patel’s friends called Pike County 9-1-1 in Pennsylvania. Through the shared services agreement between the counties in New York and Pennsylvania, the Shohola Fire Department coordinated with the Highland Lake and Lumberland Dive Teams as well as units in Orange County - Sparrow Bush and Port Jervis Fire Departments. 

Pizzolato said the two Orange County units came up from Jerry’s Canoe Rental in Pond Eddy and that the Port Jervis Fire Department spotted the body under the bridge and pulled him up to shore. According to Nevel, Patel was declared deceased at the scene. 

“People need to adhere to the utmost river safety,” said Pizzolato. “If you can’t swim, you should be thinking about whether you should be out on the river. Wearing life jackets is also very important.”

Pizzolato also noted that the river was calm over the last few days and that is when people tend to put their guard down thinking that they can do anything. 

“That’s when a lot of these incidents occur,” he said. 

Pizzolato said that this is the third drowning just in the last week in the Town of Highland’s area of the river. 

The New York State Police, Yulan Fire Department, Shohola EMS, Highland EMS and Huguenot Fire Department were other units that assisted in the efforts. 

Nevel said that the investigation is ongoing and being investigated by the SP Liberty Bureau of Criminal Investigation.