17-year-old drowns at Quarry Park and Nature Preserve after cliff jump

On Tuesday, a 17-year-old male jumped off a cliff at Quarry Park and Nature Preserve and did not come back up.

At about 4:20 p.m., the Stearns County Emergency Communication Center received a 911 call about a possible drowning at Quarry 11 inside Quarry Park and Nature Preserve, located in the City of Waite Park, according to a release.

When emergency personnel arrived, witnesses said that a 17-year-old male had jumped off a ten-foot-high cliff, into the water and never resurfaced. Witnesses attempted to dive into the water but were not able to locate him, the release said.

Members of the Stearns/Benton Dive Team, along with the Waite Park and Saint Cloud Fire Departments, deployed boats and started searching the quarry. At approximately 8:45 p.m. the victim was located in 31 feet of water, according to the release.

No further information is available at this time.

The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Waite Park Police Department, Saint Joseph Police Department, Waite Park Fire Department, Saint Cloud Fire Department, Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service, and the Stearns/Benton Dive Team.