NPS: 79th person since 1980 drowns in Upper Delaware River with no life jacket

A man who was rafting on the Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River (UPDE) went for a swim but became the 79th drowning victim in the Upper Delaware since the National Park Service started keeping record in 1980.

UPDE Superintendent Lindsey Kurnath reported to the Upper Delaware Council on July 11 that law enforcement rangers responded to the July 7 fatality and another at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area on June 29.

She said neither victim was wearing a life jacket. That has always been the case. "Since 1980 the park has had 79 drownings with not one drowning occurring where someone was wearing their life jacket," UPDE Chief of Interpretation Ingrid Peterec stated in an email.

The New York State Police Liberty barracks issued a press release on the July 7 incident. It states that troopers responded at approximately 12:40 p.m. to the area of 2362 State Route 97, Pond Eddy, for a report that someone had drowned.

Patel "was swimming in the Delaware River during a rafting trip when he submerged and did not return to the surface," the release states. "Port Jervis Fire and Rescue located Patel in the water, and he was removed from the river and declared deceased at the scene."

The June 29 incident involved a 24-year-old New Jersey man who was swimming near Milford Beach, the NPS reported.

The 73.4-mile Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River counted 327,266 visitors in 2023, the most ever since the park unit was established in 1980. This was up from 270,718 in 2022.

The NPS on the Upper Delaware continues campaigns to alert the public to the dangers of being on the river without wearing a life jacket. "River obstacles, deceptively fast currents, steep drop-offs, and year-round cold-water temperatures are just a few things that can catch unprepared river users by surprise," the UPDE website states.

"One of the best ways to protect yourself on this river is by wearing a properly fitted life jacket," UPDE ranger Rachael Freundlich comments in a video on the UPDE website.

The NPS advises everyone to wear one while on the river, but they are mandatory for children 12 and under, and for all ages whenever the river level exceeds 6 feet.

Other safety tips noted include:

• Keep the life jacket accessible, not tied to the vessel or used to link two vessels or a vessel and a tube together.
• There are no designated swimming areas on the UPDE.
• If one is swimming or wading, in addition to wearing a life jacket, stay aware of one’s surroundings. Get back to the vessel if encountering rapids. Keep legs up, with the feet pointing downstream. Float on one’s back, and never in front of the vessel.
• If the boat or other craft flips over, move upstream, and wait for calm water.
• A low river means more obstacles; a high river means more rapids.
• Glass bottles are prohibited on the river.

The NPS also reminds people that the vast majority of the shoreline in the UPDE is privately owned; avoid trespassing.

For more information, visit nps.gov/upde/planyourvisit/safety.htm.

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.