W. Babylon Man Dead After Swimming Accident in PA

A West Babylon man passed away over the holiday weekend after an accident while swimming in a Pennsylvania town.

Newsitem.com reports Benjamin Taus, a 24 year old West Babylon man, was killed while swimming in an abandoned mine pit along Route 901 in Locust Summit in the Mount Carmel Township, Pennsylvania.

According to eyewitnesses on the site, Taus and some friends were at a popular swimming area known as "The Slopes" when Taus jumped into the water from a cliff. He surfaced after about 20 seconds before going under the water again and never resurfaced.

His body was recovered by a dive team about 30 feet below the surface nearly two hours after the the accident was first reported to Mount Carmel Township Police.

Taus' mother, Jennifer Taus, confirmed to Newsday that her son had gone to the swimming pit with five or six other people, including his brother Peter, 23, and his girlfriend, Megan Scuderi, 23, of West Islip.

"It was just a freak accident," she told Newsday. "He got the wind knocked out of him."

The coroner ruled Taus' death an accident and did not suspect any foul play.

A wake will be held for the Taus at the Claude R. Boyd Funeral Home in Babylon Village on Tues., July 9 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The funeral will be held at the funeral home on Wed., July 10 at 10:30 a.m.

Taus will be interred at Pinelawn Memorial Park in Farmingdale.