HAVERHILL — The Essex County District Attorney’s Office has identified the 18-year-old who drowned in Plug Pond Sunday afternoon as Marco Antonio Cajilema Quijosaca.
Police Chief Robert Pistone said he believes Quijosaca didn’t know how to swim and accidentally made his way into water that was too deep for him to wade in.
“There’s an area that’s roped off that’s considered deemed safe to swim in and to wade in, however there are signs that say swim at your own risk,” Chief Pistone told Boston 25 News. “Unfortunately, this individual was outside of that area.”
(Courtesy Photo: City of Haverhill Mayor’s Office – Official Facebook page)
Quijosaca’s family was with him, and a lifeguard was on duty when he drowned.
More: 18-year-old man drowns in Haverhill pond Sunday early afternoon
At approximately 1:31 p.m. on Sunday, July 7, 2024, the Haverhill Police Department was dispatched to Plug Pond following a report of an 18-year-old male who was unaccounted for after having gone into the water.
Crews from the Haverhill police and fire departments, State Police, Haverhill Harbor Master and Beverly Dive Teams searched the pond until 3:07 p.m., when Quijosaca’s body was located underwater 30 feet from the shoreline. He had drowned.
Chief Pistone said this is the second drowning death in Haverhill this summer and the third reported drowning in the city overall.
“We had one fatal drowning of a toddler last month, we had a second toddler who drowned, both those in pools, that toddler is still in a Boston hospital,” Chief Pistone said.
