Body of man who fell in Youghiogheny River recovered
OHIOPYLE — The body of the 20-year-old Carnegie man who fell into the Youghiogheny River in Ohiopyle State Park nearly a month ago was recovered on Thursday.
Michael Davila Jr. was found about five miles downstream of the park visitors center, where he climbed over a railing to take a photograph but slipped on an icy rock and fell into the river on March 18.
A guide from Wilderness Voyageurs found the body near the Schoolhouse Rapids along the left side of the river adjacent to the Great Allegheny Passage, said park Manager Ken Bisbee. He said the guide called him at 5:10 p.m. and he called the Davila family shortly afterward.
“It’s hard to meet nice people this way,” Bisbee said.
Park staff, Ohiopyle-Stewart Volunteer Fire Co. firefighters, Fayette EMS paramedics, river guides and Fayette County deputy coroners removed Davila Jr.’s body and transported him to Uniontown Hospital, where he was identified by his father, Michael Davila Sr.
Davila Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene along the river at 7:12 p.m., said Coroner Phillip E. Reilly. The cause of death was asphyxiation from drowning and exposure to cold water, and the death was ruled accidental, Reilly said, adding that Davila Jr. also suffered some facial trauma.
Reilly said he is not requesting an autopsy, but the family may want to have one performed. He said a toxicology test would not be of any use due to the length of time Davila Jr. was in the water.
He said Davila Jr.’s tennis shoes were recovered a couple days after he fell into the river and his T-shirt was found sometime later.
“This is a tragic ending to a tragic month for the family,” Reilly said.
The river had swelled to more than 7.5 feet deep from rain runoff the day Davila Jr. fell in, Bisbee said. The depth receded for a time, but last week’s rain increased the depth to more than 8 feet, he said.
The depth was about 5 feet on Thursday, and, Bisbee said, he had planned to call for an air search if the level fell to the normal 2-foot level.