WESTFORD, MA — A 21-year-old man died early Saturday after falling into Merrill’s Quarry in Westford, Massachusetts, according to police.
Authorities said the call came in just before 1 a.m. when the caller reported the man had fallen and could no longer be seen. First responders later found him facedown in the water at the bottom of the quarry.
Rescue teams pulled the man from the water and took him to Lowell General Hospital
Westford police and firefighters responded to the scene off Tyngsboro Road and the fire department removed the man from the water. Crews then began life-saving efforts at the quarry.
He was transported to Lowell General Hospital, but police said he died from injuries connected to the fall and from being in the water for an extended period.
Police say Merrill’s Quarry is private property with steep drops and deep water
The Middlesex District Attorney’s office and Westford Police Department are investigating the death. No additional details were immediately available.
In a statement, police described Merrill’s Quarry as an extremely dangerous location with steep and unstable drops, deep water and other potentially life-threatening hazards. They also said the site is private property and is posted with numerous no-trespassing signs.
Massachusetts has seen another quarry drowning this summer
The Westford death comes after a 17-year-old died while swimming in a Milford quarry in July. That fatal incident happened less than a week after police issued a warning about swimming there.
Police in Westford used the latest case to again caution the public that entering a quarry without permission can be unlawful and may have tragic consequences.
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