18-Year-Old From Methuen Identified After Drowning In Westford

WESTFORD, MA — An 18-year-old from Methuen has been identified after apparently drowning at a Westford quarry Monday afternoon, according to multiple reports.

The teen, identified by The Boston Globe Wednesday as Chester D. Rodriguez, was swimming with friends at Merrill's Quarry off Vineyard Road when he jumped off the cliff and did not resurface, local fire officials said.

First responders asked bystanders about the man's last known location and began a search, officials said.

Following a massive search effort, crews found Rodriguez just over an hour later and removed him from the water, according to officials. Rodriguez's body was found 40 feet under the surface, according to WBZ CBS News Boston.

The Westford Fire Department, Westford Police Department, Tyngsboro Fire-Rescue, Lowell Fire Department Dive Team, and State Police Air Wing all assisted in the water search.

One firefighter suffered minor injuries during the operation, officials said.

The site is private property with posted "No Trespassing" signs that are "plainly visible to anybody on the property," according to a Westford Police Department statement from 2021.

"The quarry is littered with many hazards including broken glass, sharp edges from rocks, steep cliffs, unseen rock ledges just under the surface of the water and other hazards under water," police wrote. "Because of these numerous hazards, in past years many people have either been seriously injured or killed at the quarry."

A fire official told WCVB 5-ABC this is the second time that first responders were called to the quarry recently. They rescued another person at the quarry last week.