On Tuesday, May 23, at approximately 4:34 p.m., New York State Police were dispatched by the Tompkins County 911 Center to assist New York State Park Police with a reported drowning at the base of Taughannock Falls in the Town of Ulysses. Troopers from Ithaca, members of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Underwater Recovery Team responded to the scene.
A 26-year-old male was ultimately located deceased in the water. A 19-year-old male was transported from the scene by Life Net to Upstate University Hospital for hypothermia and water ingestion. He is listed in stable condition.
An investigation at the scene revealed four males, all from the Syracuse area and between the ages of 16 and 26, entered a marked “No Swimming” area at the base of Taughannock Falls. After entering the water, they began to have trouble staying above water. The 26-year-old male identified as Leo M. Nolasco-Cruz slipped beneath the surface and did not reappear. Nolasco-Cruz was located by members of New York State Police’s Underwater Recovery Team.
Other departments responding to the scene included Trumansburg Fire Department, Trumansburg Ambulance, Tompkins County Sheriff’s Department and the Tompkins County Fire Coordinator.
