Fredericksburg police identify drowning victim

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Fredericksburg police have identified a man who drowned while swimming in an old quarry.

Police spokeswoman Natatia L. Bledsoe says 18-year-old Anthony Mandel Johnson Jr. was swimming toward a rope swing with a female friend when he began to struggle in the water.

Bledsoe says the friend and others at the quarry tried unsuccessfully to save Johnson. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital

The medical examiner ruled Johnson’s death as an accidental drowning.

The incident occurred Monday evening.

Bledsoe said Tuesday in a news release that the quarry is a popular swimming site, although it’s on private property that’s posted against trespassing. She says the police department plans to increase patrols in the area through the rest of the summer.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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