Man Drowns In Heritage Minerals Lake: Manchester Police

MANCHESTER, NJ — The body of a Plainfield man was retrieved from a lake on the Heritage Minerals site on Sunday, a day after he disappeared at the site, Manchester police said.

Edwin Caballero, 23, was found Sunday morning in about 16 feet of water in Crystal Lake on the former mining property by New Jersey State Police, Capt. Todd Malland said. The preliminary investigation indicates that Caballero entered the water and accidentally drowned, he said.

Caballero at the privately owned property most of the day on Saturday, and went missing between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., Malland said. Family called police about 10 p.m. and said they weren't sure if he had gone back in the water or had walked into the nearby woods, so police and numerous members of local volunteer fire departments searched. Brick Township Police sent a member of the department's drone unit to assist, and the State Police Aviation Unit assisted as well, but authorities were not able to find Caballero, Malland said.

The search resumed shortly after daybreak with the marine unit using sonar to find Caballero's body. He was recovered by the NJ State Police Technical Emergency and Mission Specialists (T.E.A.M.S.) unit.

Caballero is the fifth person to drown at the former mining property. The last victim was a 17-year-old Manchester student who died in 2015.

Crystal Lake is part of the 7,000-acre site known as the Heritage Minerals site. It originally was operated by the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) before it became Heritage Minerals. Mining operations ceased in the early 1980s.

During its years of operation, the land was mined so deeply that numerous bodies of water often referred to as "lakes" formed. These lakes are actually groundwater aquifers and litter the site. Because the lakes were formed as a result of the mining operation, they do not have stable bottoms or shore lines, the way naturally occurring lakes do.

"The banks are very unpredictable and dangerously unstable," Malland said. "Those entering the water will quickly realize that after taking a few steps in the soft, unstable sand that the shoreline 'shelf' quickly drops off to depths that exceed 60 feet." The largest lake is estimated at as much as 300 feet deep.

In addition the water is clear but very cold because the lakes are filled with mineral-laden spring water from the underground aquifer; as a result, buoyancy is reduced. Additionally, the colder water can cause a swimmer, even an accomplished one, to tire much faster.

Because it is private property, it is closed for recreational and/or other use and it is a criminal offense to enter or remain on the property. In the interest of public safety, the Manchester Township Police urges everyone to obey the "No Trespassing" signs posted at the site. Trespassers are subject to hefty fines and penalties up to and including incarceration for being on the property.

Anyone who may have been at Crystal Lake and witnessed the incident is asked to contact Manchester Detective Christian Nazario at 732-657-2009, ext. 4221, or Detective John Carroll of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit at 732-929-2027.

Also assisting with the investigations were members of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Major Crime Unit and the Ocean County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Investigations Unit.

Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Manchester Patch on Facebook.