Tragedy strikes again at Massachusetts quarry as crews search for body of missing teen swimmer

Tragedy has struck once again at a dangerous Massachusetts quarry as it appears to have claimed another life.

Shadowbrook Quarries in Milford, Massachusetts is an abandoned granite quarry located behind the Shadowbrook Condominiums off Purchase Street. Like several other old quarries in the area (including nearby Fletcher Quarry), it has a long and tragic history as a popular but highly dangerous illegal swimming and cliff-jumping spot.

At just after 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, a call came into dispatch for a water rescue for an 18-year-old male at Shadowbrook Lane. On Sunday crews were still searching for the body of the missing swimmer.

Last Sunday, at approximately 7:00 p.m., the Milford Public Safety Communications Center received a 911 call from the Shadowbrook Quarries, reporting an 18-year-old female had fallen from the rock ledge onto jagged rocks approximately 12 feet below. The patient was transported by Lifeflight to UMass Memorial Medical Center for treatment.

In 2014, 18-year-old Nentor Dahn of Providence drowned after jumping into the nearby Fletcher Quarry.

In 2007, 16-year-old Brian Kerr of Framingham died after hitting his head on an underwater ledge while swimming/jumping.

Multiple other near-drownings, falls, and rescues have occurred over the years.

Milford PD stated last Sunday that, “we continue to strongly discourage anyone from entering the property or swimming in the quarries. The steep rock faces, unstable terrain, and limited access for emergency responders create an extremely dangerous environment where a single misstep can have life-altering consequences for civilians and responders.”