Police issue stern warning following drowning death of teen at "Devil's Hole" in Cedar Grove, N.J.
CEDAR GROVE, N.J. -- A teenager is dead after going for a dip in a New Jersey swimming hole over the weekend.
Officials in Essex County say swimming is prohibited in that area because it's so dangerous.
And as CBS New York found out, it's not the first time someone died there.
A section of the Peckman River in Cedar Grove, near Community Park, is known as "Devil's Hole," and on Saturday night the swimming hole lived up to its dangerous reputation.
Police say a 16-year-old boy from Newark was with family and friends when he went into the water and didn't come up.
After an exhaustive search, the teen was pulled from the water.
"Everybody was just trying to work together and do what they could to try to save his life. But, you know, unfortunately, he was under the water too long," said Dave Candido of the Cedar Grove Rescue Squad.
Candido said he drove the ambulance that carried the victim to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
"It's just a terrible tragedy. It's something that I hope we never have to do again here, because, you know, the cost to families is just terrible," Candido said.
Swimming at Devil's Hole is illegal and "no swimming" signs are posted.
Police say trespassers are not only endangering their own lives, but the lives of first responders.
"It's just extremely dangerous. It's deceiving. It doesn't look deep. It's at least 14 feet deep, as far as we know. There's currents in there due to the waterfall and it's very rocky," Cedar Grove Police Officer Nicole Hoyt said.
Another teen died at Devil's Hole in 2014.
But despite the danger, swimming there has been a rite of passage for some, especially teens, for decades.
"Just growing up here, it was a common place to meet, especially before the internet," resident Rich Williams said.
Police say they do regularly inspect the area to make sure no one is swimming. In fact, they say officers came by on Saturday at around 5:15 p.m., and no one was there.
Just minutes later, police say the 16-year-old entered the area, went into the water, and drowned.
In the wake of this latest tragedy, township officials met with engineers at the site to discuss permanent ways to keep trespassers out of the area.
People caught swimming there can face criminal charges.