Toms River Man Drowns At Manchester Lake: Police

MANCHESTER, NJ — A Toms River man drowned Monday after he fell off a raft at Harry Wright Lake and never resurfaced, Manchester Township police said.

Luis Angel Meyo-Jimenez, 20, of Toms River, was pronounced dead at Community Medical Center, Toms River, Monday night after he was found at the bottom of the lake, Manchester Capt. Todd Malland said.

Police received a 911 call at 6:32 p.m. reporting a missing swimmer at the lake in the Whiting section of the township, Malland said. The caller told police Jimenez had fallen off of a raft in the lake and could not be located.

According to witnesses, Jimenez was sitting on a raft in the area of the lakes floating dock when he fell into the water and never re-emerged. Patrolman Chris Walaszek arrived and went into the water and found Jimenez at the bottom of the lake. Walaszek was assisted in the water by Whiting volunteer firefighters, William Sloan and Josh Lightbody.

Jimenez was immediately brought to shore where Patrolman Vincent Derome and Patrolman Marc Micciulla performed CPR. Jimenez was taken to Community Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead, Malland said.

This incident is being investigated by Detective Danny Barker of the department’s Investigations Bureau with the assistance of Detective Anthony Carrington Jr. of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office and Detective Dan Lesniakowski from the Ocean County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) Unit.

Assisting at the scene were members of both the Whiting and Manchester Volunteer fire departments as well as EMTs from Quality Medical Transport and paramedics from MONOC.

Anyone who may have been at the Harry Wright Lake and witnessed this incident is asked to contact the Manchester Township Police Department at 732-657-6111 or the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit at 732-929-2027.

Photo via Manchester Township Police