Hardcastle Pond passed DEP inspection
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The New Milford pond where a teen drowned last month trying to retrieve a ball was properly maintained based on a recent inspection, a Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman said Wednesday.
A DEP inspector found no “observable problems and/or maintenance issues” with Hardcastle Pond during a visit Friday to the borough-owned property, said Caryn Shinske, an agency spokeswoman.
Clinton Ajith, an 18-year-old New Milford High School senior, died April 22 after he waded into the water to retrieve a soccer ball for children playing nearby. His body was recovered that night about three hours after a 911 call was placed.
The pond, which was created in the 1960s or early 1970s, was functioning as a stormwater retention basin designed to alleviate chronic flooding in the area, Shinske confirmed. It sits between an apartment complex and the Hackensack River.
Because New Milford is a “Tier A” municipality due to its population density, it is required to “ensure adequate long-term cleaning, operation and maintenance of all municipally owned or operated stormwater facilities,” Shinske said.
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Hardcastle Pond is inspected by New Milford public works staff while performing park maintenance, sometimes weekly or daily depending on the season, Shinske said. The borough performs two formal inspections of the pond annually as part of its stormwater facilities maintenance minimum standards, she said.
New Milford police Capt. Kevin Van Saders said he doesn’t recall any other incidents at the pond during his tenure. In 1976, three police officers rescued two young boys who had fallen into Hardcastle Pond while trying to bike across the ice, according to news reports.
At the time of Ajith’s drowning, One neighbor had described the pond’s muddy shores as quicksand because it can seize a person’s limbs as soon as they are ankle-deep.
Despite that, the pond is a popular spot for anglers and has held children’s fishing derbies.
In recent years, it has held a memorial event for victims of drug abuse where family and friends place floating candles on the water. It’s been the site of community cleanups with dozens of volunteers picking up trash along its banks and hauling bigger items like some shopping carts in years past when an A&P supermarket operated next to the pond.
Ajith, who was planning to study criminal justice at Montclair State University in the fall, had immigrated to the U.S. with his family in 2012. Friends described him as a humorous and kind young man who participated in his high school’s band and musical theater group.
A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $97,000 for the family as of Wednesday morning.
Every body of water can be dangerous
Lyndhurst Fire Chief Nick Haggerty, one of the divers who helped recover Ajit’s body, has been all over North Jersey on dive rescues.
When a diving team is needed in North Jersey, the Lyndhurst Fire Department’s Dive Rescue Team is almost sure to be there. The Lyndhurst dive team, along with fire department teams from Wallington, Oradell and Mahwah, all volunteer, are part of the North Jersey Regional Scuba Task Force, which was formed by Bergen County in 2018.
These teams all receive the same dive training, so the teams are able to work together on dives where needed.
“Everyone is on the same page,” Haggerty said.
Since these are the only four diving teams in the county, they’re usually needed outside their respective municipalities. The task force is dispatched either through the county or the town itself if it’s nearby.
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Haggerty, who said the team is called out between 14 and 25 times a year, has been a part of numerous dives across North Jersey and including at Hardcastle Pond and said there is no single body of water that is more dangerous than others. As a member of the dive rescue team, Haggerty said he’s been to just about every waterway in the region, including Passaic and Morris counties.
“Basically when you’re diving in the water in New Jersey, [it’s like] going into a closet with the lights off and close your eyes,” he said. “Every body of water around here is dangerous.”
Though it was still light out when Ajit went into the water, it was dark when the diving team recovered his body three hours later.
In addition to being a firefighter and rescue diver, Haggerty is a Lyndhurst police officer. Diving for bodies is not a pleasant experience, but as a first responder he’s mentally prepared for the unfortunate assignment.
“You’re dealing with life,” he said. “You’re going to see incidents that aren’t pleasant to see.”
Liam Quinn is a breaking news reporter for NorthJersey.com. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
Email: qu****@no*********.com
Twitter: @Liam_D_Quinn
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