PORT CLINTON - A 28-year-old Reading man died while swimming Wednesday near a cliff known as "The Rock" in West Brunswick Township along the Schuylkill River.
State police at Schuylkill Haven said Jason Lamont Morris, 1548 Cotton St., jumped into the Schuylkill River about 5:35 p.m.
"Within five minutes after he dove off (the cliff), he was under," said Trooper Chad Smith of the Schuylkill Haven station. There is a smaller rock - about 20 feet from the water - and a larger rock - about 50 feet from the water- at the site. Morris dove off the smaller rock, Smith said.
Morris' body was found in "about 12 feet of water" at 6:53 p.m., Smith said.
Troopers said Morris was pulled from the water by the Schuylkill Haven Dive Rescue and Recovery Team about 30 yards east from where he entered the water. Support Personnel Wayne Merkel said 15 to 20 people from the team responded to the scene, and that there were about eight divers split into teams.
Hamburg Fire Chief Troy Hatt, who was in charge of the scene, said fatalities like Morris' could be avoided.
"We go through this every year. They can change that. They don't need to come here. They don't need to put their lives in jeopardy by coming here," he said. "Where there is no lifeguards, nobody there for safety, you should not be in there swimming. It's not safe. The waters are unpredictable."
Hatt said the current was moving about 3 to 4 mph, and that because of recent rainfall, the water was higher than normal.
The surface water temperature was 78 degrees and it was 72 degrees on the bottom, he said.
Kaitlyn Hostetter and Kacy Charlesworth, both of Pottsville, were swimming at the site and were told about 6 p.m. that they needed to get out of the area.
"All we heard was that someone was in the water and we needed to go," Hostetter said.
They were not near the rock when the incident occurred, but they knew something was wrong when they heard ambulance sirens. Even though Hostetter said she knew the area was dangerous, she still wanted to check it out. Wednesday was her fourth time at the Rock, and it might be her last.
"I don't know if I ever want to come back out here," she said.
Blue Mountain Road, which leads to the Rock, was blocked for hours while rescuers were at the scene.
There were eight people at the scene waiting for news about Morris. A woman hugged a man after she arrived.
Responding to scene were Union Fire Company No. 1, Hamburg, Shoemakersville Fire Company, Port Clinton Fire Company No. 1, Hamburg EMS, the Schuylkill Haven Dive Rescue and Recovery Team, the Reading City Dive Team and the Western Berks Machine Units.
Joshua Hart and Scott Clews, representatives with the Schuylkill County Coroner's Office, arrived at the scene at 8:12 p.m.
State owned, off limits
The Kernsville Dam and surrounding property is state-owned and monitored by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
When the weather warms up, the quiet spot turns into a beach destination for those seeking a free spot to swim and party, DEP spokesman Tom Rathbun said previously, according to Republican-Herald archives.
DEP posted an emergency access gate and "no swimming" signs after a 2006 drowning at the site; those who are caught swimming could be cited for criminal trespass, which can mean penalties and fines of up to $250, according to the archives.
The area, located in West Brunswick Township, falls under the law enforcement jurisdiction of state police at Schuylkill Haven, and troopers routinely patrol the area.
But according to state police, it is a problem to cover because it is isolated and difficult to enforce.
In August 2009, Raphael Montiro, 32, of Reading, drowned while swimming in the area.
On July 10, 2006, Fabio Enrique Sanchez-Paulino, 23, of Reading, drowned after jumping off the Rock into the river.
Two days later, rescue personnel were again called to the same location when a woman injured her back while diving off the cliff.
State police, DEP and Pennsylvania Fish and Game officials periodically collaborate on full-scale undercover operations at the Rock.