Youth, 17, Drowns After Dive Off Cliff
A 17-year-old boy drowned Wednesday in the Angeles National Forest after diving off a cliff and apparently striking his head on the bottom of the San Gabriel River, authorities said.
The identity of the youth, who was diving off the rocks with a group of friends, had not been released by late Wednesday night.
The drowning was reported about 4:40 p.m. in an unincorporated area up Old San Gabriel Canyon Road just outside the Azusa city limits.
Deputy David Rathbun said the accident occurred at a deep section of the San Gabriel River below Morris Dam that has been a popular diving spot with teen-agers.
Sheriff’s Department divers were dispatched to the scene after the accident and found the boy’s body in about 15 feet of water.
Rathbun, a member of the diving rescue team, estimated the drop from the cliff to the river at about 15 to 20 feet.
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