Howell Man Who Died During Pa. Quarry Swim Identified: Reports

Bangor, Pa. -- A Howell man drowned Sunday while swimming at an abandoned quarry in eastern Pennsylvania, according to reports.

NBC 10 in Philadelphia reported the 20-year-old man was with seven other people swimming when he went underwater and didn't resurface, quoting Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek.

The Morning Call of Allentown reported the man was identified as Andrew J. Grennan.

The Seven Slopes of Slate quarry, which is fenced, attracts trespassers because of its translucent water and 100-foot-high cliffs. That beauty, however, comes with significant danger, the paper reports, because there is discarded machinery underwater. The water temperature can drop by as much as 20 degrees just 15 feet below the surface, causing life-threatening disabling cramps for swimmers.

The quarry, and others in the area, have become an increasing problem for police, with more and more people trespassing at the site and other quarries, despite fencing and threats of being arrested for trespassing, Lehigh Valley Live reported last year. Criminal trespass carries a $300 fine in Pennsylvania, the report said.

Videos posted on YouTube and photos on Instagram of people cliff-jumping at quarries in the area have increased their attraction for thrill-seekers, the Morning Call reported. Two New Jersey residents drowned at a quarry in Mount Bethel, the paper reported, and more than 80 citations for trespassing were issued last year at that quarry.

At Seven Slopes of Slate quarry, a swimmer suffered a serious injury a few years ago when he slipped on slate and fell into a crevice, the Morning Call reported. More than 40 trespassing citations were issued there last summer, the paper reported.

Quarry dangers aren't limited to Pennsylvania. In June 2015 a Manchester Township teenager drowned at the Heritage Minerals mining site while swimming with friends. Manchester police stepped up patrols at that site in the wake of the incident.

Read more about the dangers of the quarries here.

A Google Maps view of the Seven Slopes of Slate quarry, where a Howell man drowned Sunday.