State Police ID Teen Who Died After Drowning Beneath Hudson Valley Waterfall

TOWN OF MARBLETOWN, NY — A popular Ulster County swimming hole became the scene of a tragic drowning this weekend.

The New York State Police say that on Sunday, around 2:36 p.m., troopers from Kingston responded to a swimming hole on Rondout Creek, near the High Falls Waterfall, located on Route 213 in the Town of Marbletown, after receiving a report of a teen drowning.

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Investigators said the victim, later identified as 15-year-old Matthew Strahan, of Poughkeepsie, had gone to the swimming hole with a 24-year-old female family member.

Police say that after Strahan had been in the water for several minutes, he slipped beneath the waterfall and began to drown.

Several bystanders saw Strahan go underwater and tried to rescue him but were unsuccessful.

A member of the New York State Police Underwater Recovery Team found Strahan in approximately 8 to 10 feet of water, and removed him from the water.

He received lifesaving measures at the scene and was taken to Health Alliance Hospital in Kingston. However, Strahan ultimately died from his injuries.

The New York State Police were assisted at the scene by the Town of Rosendale Police Department, the Marbletown Rescue Squad, the Ulster County Sheriff's Office, the High Falls Fire Derpartment, the Stone Ridge Fire Co., the Ulster Hose Fire Department, the Kripplebush Fire Department, and the City of Kingston Fire Department Paramedic.

State police say the investigation remains ongoing.