Aberdeen Man Dies While Swimming In Home Pool

ABERDEEN, NJ — An Aberdeen man died Friday while swimming in his own backyard swimming pool.

Police say the man, Michael Chiaffitella, 79, likely suffered a medical episode while in the pool.

This happened at 12:35 p.m. Friday at a home on Ivy Hill Drive in the Strathmore section of Aberdeen. The man's wife discovered his body at the bottom of the pool and called 911.

Earlier, he had told her he was going swimming.

"The Aberdeen Township Police Department along with the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office MedSTAR ambulance service provided life-saving measures on scene until he was transported to Bayshore (Medical Center)," said Aberdeen Police Chief Matthew Lloyd. "Despite our best efforts, we later … learned that he did pass away at the hospital."

The drowning was not deemed suspicious and appeared to be the result of a medical episode, said the police chief.