LOCUST SUMMIT — A 24-year-old New York man was killed while swimming Thursday afternoon in an abandoned mine pit along Route 901 in Mount Carmel Township. Benjamin Taus, of Babylon, had jumped into the water from a cliff at the mine pit known locally as “The Slopes,” according to Patrolman Brian Carnuccio of Mount Carmel Township Police. Witnesses told police that he surfaced for about 20 seconds before submerging again. They thought he went under to swim but he never resurfaced. His body was recovered by dive team members about 30 feet below surface. The incident occurred on the Mahanoy Mountain between Locust Summit and Locust Gap. It was reported at 2:50 p.m. Taus was located at 4:40 p.m. and recovered nine minutes later. Second fatal A 14-year-old Mount Carmel boy, Randy Zigarski, died in May 2004 at the same mine pit. A cross placed in his memory remains along the state highway at the entrance to the path that leads to “The Slopes.” The land is owned by Reading Anthracite. A gate at the entrance along the state highway was locked and no cars or trucks were at the scene, police said, but there were several all-terrain vehicles. Township Patrolman Daniel Politza said Taus was with a group of five or six people, including his girlfriend and his brother, both of whom are also from New York. It is believed they were at the mine pit with a local man from Lavelle. Northumberland County Coroner James F. Kelley was on scene. Carnuccio said he expected Kelley to perform an autopsy today. Assisting at the scene were dive team members of Sunbury and Mahanoy City fire departments, Locust Gap Fire Department, Mount Carmel Rescue Squad and Mount Carmel Police.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Jul 2013 23:17:06 +0000
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