Two New York men drowned in different lakes in Orange County on Saturday, state police said.
The first incident occurred at Turkey Hill Pond in Harriman State Park around 11:30 a.m., cops said. Darwin Chuiz, 22, was on a hike with a friend Saturday morning on a nearby trail.
Chuiz, a Spring Valley resident, entered Turkey Hill Pond to cool down after the hike, investigators said. As he walked away from shore, he was quickly submerged under the water and did not resurface, police said.
Rescuers found Chuiz’s body about 20 feet from shore in water that was 10 feet deep, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and there were no signs of foul play.
About four hours after Chuiz entered Turkey Hill Pond, cops were called to the scene of another drowning at Walton Lake in Monroe.
Mohammadsadegh Kiani, 36, was spending the day on the lake with friends, state police said. He was sitting alone on an inflatable paddle board about 40 feet from shore when he lost his balance and fell off.
Kiani, of Plainview, Long Island, began struggling in the 7-foot-deep water and did not resurface, authorities said. Bystanders at the local American Legion post, which sits directly across the street, witnessed the incident and sprang into action trying to save Kiani.
Despite their emergency resuscitation efforts, Kiani was eventually pronounced dead at a local hospital. His death was also deemed an accident.
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