3 Drownings Across State

By CAROLYN FREER

Updated 4:48 PM EDT, Thu, Jul 1, 2010

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Rescue crews were out on three different waterways in Connecticut on Saturday for reports of people in distress.

The first incident happened at Wilderness Lake in Willington. Fajir Javid, 10, a resident of New York City, was swimming with a group of adults and children when she disappeared under the water around 12:30 p.m., said state police.

Divers found Javid around 1:47 p.m. in about 10 feet of water, 25 to 30 feet from shore. She was transported to Johnson Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

State police have ruled her death an accident. Javid was staying a Wilderness Campground with her family and a group of scouts.

Later in the afternoon, rescue crews responded to Candlewood Lake in New Milford for a report of another person in distress.

Witnesses said Ursula Lerse, 85, of New Milford was swimming in water off of Millstone Beach around 3:15 p.m. when she slipped under the water. Dive teams found Lerse in about 8 feet of water.

Emergency personnel performed CPR on Lerse. She was transported to New Milford Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

In Kent, rescue crews were called to a swimming area on the Housatonic River for a report of a person who had slipped under the water.

Around 4:25 p.m., Juan Lopez, 23, of Jamaica, New York, was swimming with friends at Bulls Bridge when he went under the water and never resurfaced.

Crews pulled Lopez from the water several minutes later but he was pronounced dead before he could be flown to the hospital.

First Published: Jun 26, 2010 7:39 PM EDT

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