Body Of Man Missing In Lake Hopatcong Found Monday: Cops

LAKE HOPATCONG, NJ — The search for a man missing in Lake Hopatcong ended Monday morning, when police found the 24-year-old's body, New Jersey State police confirmed.

The body of Jason Gill, 24, was recovered from the lake around 7:45 a.m., police said. A boater spotted his body around 6:30 a.m., and he was recovered by Marine Services Bureau troopers about an hour later.

Police say the operator of the boat, Nicholas Zarantonello, 24, of Lake Hopatcong, was under the influence when Gill went overboard. Zarantonello was charged with boating under the influence and released with an upcoming court date.

Gill went missing on the lake around 7:45 p.m. on Saturday, when he fell over the side of a pontoon boat near Main Lake Market, police said. Police did not say if he was wearing a life vest.

Dan Gunderman, who was at Main Lake Market in Jefferson when Gill went overboard, told Patch the man was on a pontoon boat around 50 feet from the shoreline. "Emergency responders were on the scene immediately and entered the water right away," Gunderman.

He said first responders searched for about two hours on Saturday night before thunderstorms made the search unsafe.

Boat traffic has been slower than usual on Lake Hopatcong this summer, after a harmful algae bloom advisory made most of the lake off limits to swimmers. This is the first drowning reported on the lake since the advisory went into place, and the second this season.