UPDATE: Swimmer Pulled From River Dies

A 19-year-old man who was pulled from the Raritan River Sunday afternoon died Sunday night, Bridgewater Police Chief Richard Borden said.

Pedro Rosa, of Elizabeth, Rosa was found without a pulse and not breathing, police said. He was revived on the scene and transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital where he died Monday morning, Borden said.

Bridgewater Township Police Officer Mark Zaslavsky was the point officer, leading the resuscitation efforts.

According to North Branch Fire Co. Deputy Chief Dave Hickson, he was dispatched to the Branchburg side of the river for a drowning victim around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, but when he arrived on the scene minutes later, he was told the man was downstream.

"There was a language barrier, but I went down to Ten Eyck Park in Branchburg, jumped over on the Bridgewater side and got to the bridge at Route 22 and the river," he said. "The boy was floating face-up in the river, and being assisted by civilians to the side."

Hickson said a Bridgewater Township Police Officer arrived with a defibrillator.

"He had oxygen and lifesaving equipment, and he asked me to help bring the equipment," he said.

The officer was Bridgewater Township Police Officer Mark Zaslavsky, who arrived on the scene, and, with Hickson, pulled the boy out of the water and checked for his vitals.

"We found no pulse and no breathing," Hickson said.

Hickson said the police officer immediately initiated CPR, and they continued doing so until the boy was fully pulled out of the water by paramedics and EMTs, who then transported him to hospital.

"I can't say enough what a great job the police officer did," he said. "We worked together, and I can't say enough for that guy."

"There was no breathing, no pulse and no life at all," he added. "When he got in the ambulance, he was breathing and had a pulse."

Despite these efforts, and Rose regaining consciousness before being transported to the hospital, he died Monday.

Hickson said the incident is unusual for this location, but said many people spend afternoons at the park near the Raritan River.

"There were other people with him at the time, but there is a large population of people who come to picnic and swim there," he said. "They come in from the cities."

Hickson said there have been water rescues before, but it is usually just people in distress. This was the first time they had to do CPR, he said.

"We've had water rescues before, but never any drownings," he said. "I've been in the fire department [more than 20 years], and this is the first time we have pulled someone drowning."