WAITE PARK, Minn. — The 17-year-old boy who died after jumping from a cliff in Waite Park Tuesday has been identified and his death was ruled an accidental drowning, according to an update from the Stearns County Sheriff's Office.
A statement from the sheriff on Thursday ID'd the victim as Emmanuel Seward, Jr., of Brooklyn Center. In their initial statement, sheriff's office officials said his body was pulled from Quarry 11 in the Quarry Park and Nature Reserve on Tuesday night.
The statement said the Stearns County Emergency Communication Center got a 911 call about a possible drowning just after 4 p.m., and when emergency crews arrived, witnesses said Seward, Jr. had jumped into the water from a 10-foot cliff and never resurfaced. Some said they dove into the water to save him but were unsuccessful in locating him.
Members of the Stearns/Benton Dive Team deployed boats and started searching the quarry with help from the Waite Park and St. Cloud Fire Departments.
Around 8:45 p.m., Seward Jr.'s body was found in 31 feet of water.
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