A 19-year-old Oregon man, a soldier at Aberdeen Proving Ground, drowned Friday afternoon in the Deer Creek rapids area of Rocks State Park, just below the King and Queen Seats.
The Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Company and Harford County Technical Rescue Team were dispatched just after 4 p.m. Friday to Rocks State Park across from the King and Queen Seats for a reported subject in the waters of Deer Creek.
Reports indicated a 19-year-old man had gone under and not surfaced. Friends provided emergency personnel with a description and an area where he was last seen. An intensive search ensued and at the one-hour mark into the incident emergency personnel declared the event a recovery. Approximately 40 minutes later the subject was found deceased, according to Rich Gardiner, spokesman for the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association.
Sgt. Art Windemuth with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources confirmed the man was a soldier at Aberdeen Proving Ground.
Gardiner said the man was originally from Oregon.
Windemuth said the identity of the man will not be released until next of kin notification is made by military.
R.I.P. and thanks for serving soldier.