Man Died Cliff Jumping Near Conowingo Dam: Police

The Susquehanna Hose Company helped recover the body of a swimmer who disappeared over the weekend near the Conowingo Dam.

Matthew Bolte, 24, of North East, died after he leaped from the cliffs at Wildcat Point in Cecil County Sunday afternoon, according to Candy Thomson, spokesperson for Maryland Natural Resources Police.

The cliffs, which tower approximately 65 feet above the water, are near the Maryland-Pennsylvania line, 4 miles from the Conowingo Dam, Thomson said.

At about 3:30 p.m. Sunday, witnesses reported that Bolte jumped and surfaced once, then disappeared, Thomson said.

The cliffs are “a popular sumer destination,” she added.

Water rescue teams from Harford and Cecil counties as well as Lancaster County, Pa., searched with Natural Resources Police for the swimmer Sunday afternoon, Thomson said. She noted that thunderstorms traveling through the area complicated the search efforts.

Volunteers from the Susquehanna Hose Company located Bolte’s body at 6:30 p.m. in 45 feet of water, according to Thomson.

The June 14 fatality was the second on the Susquehanna River in three weeks.

Jacob Nicholas Zorn, 22, of Port Deposit, had been canoeing near Lee’s Landing when his boat capsized on May 27. His body was found days later near Marina Park in Port Deposit.

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In addition to Bolte, another young man died cliff jumping two summers ago at Wildcat Point.

A 25-year-old from Delaware was cliff jumping in the area when he died on July 27, 2013, according to Natural Resources Police.

Screenshot from YouTube video by Ian Jevnick of Conowingo cliff jumping.