Man dies in water-filled quarry

By Joe Beck - jbeck@nvdaily.com

Rescue team divers Friday night recovered the body of a man who died of an apparent drowning at a water-filled quarry off of Ebert Road near Martinsburg Pike in northern Frederick County.

Capt. Allen Sibert of the Sheriff's Office said Sunday authorities are waiting for the results of an autopsy Monday in Manassas before releasing the identity of the victim.

"Everything is consistent with drowning," Sibert said. "It appears to be purely accidental."

Sibert said the man, accompanied by his girlfriend and another female friend, were "hanging out" at the quarry when he decided to go for a swim. At least one of the other females joined him in the water, he said.

"He started to take a swim and just kind of went under and didn't come back," Sibert said. "The theory is that he could have been in a depth he was comfortable in and got out to a depth he wasn't comfortable with."

Sibert said a call came in at about 8:20 p.m. and rescue units from Frederick County, Stephens City, and Gainesboro were dispatched to the scene. The Gainesboro Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company deployed boats and divers from Stephens City recovered the body around 10:30 p.m., Sibert said.

Sibert said one of the victim's female companions is from Winchester and the other is from Bealeton.

Both were physically unharmed, but one of them was taken to Winchester Medical Center to be treated "basically because of what she had just witnessed," he said.