NJ Man Drowns Trying To Cross Delaware River

PHILLIPSBURG, NJ - A Warren County man died Sunday after he disappeared under the water while attempting to cross the Delaware River, authorities said.

Witnesses told police that Sandoval Bustamante Ronme, of Phillipsburg, never resurfaced above the water after he said he would attempt the cross-river swim, the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Several boats assisted in a search for Ronme, which was successful, the prosecutor’s office said. Rome was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to St. Luke’s Hospital in Easton.

An investigation confirmed there was no foul play in connection with the death, authorities said.

“With summer approaching, the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office urges the community not to attempt to swim in or across the river,” the prosecutor’s office said.

Authorities across New Jersey continue to warn swimmers not to plunge into unguarded waters after several drownings were reported this week.

A New York City firefighter from Teaneck died last Friday while trying to save his teenage daughter from a rip current on the beach at Avon-by-the-Sea, Patch previously reported. There are no daily lifeguards on the beach this early in the summer season.

An 18-year-old teen from South Jersey died after he never emerged from a South Jersey lake Sunday night. The stunt was part of Pitman High School's senior scavenger hunt, which isn't sanctioned by the school or the borough, and involves completing tasks from a list students create. One of the tasks this year was to swim across the lake, Pitman Mayor Michael L. Razze Jr. told NJ Advance Media.