The family of a local man who died after falling off a cliff in Puerto Rico is trying to raise funds to bring his body back to Bartholomew County.
Edgar “Chuwey” Garay Pagan, 27, was sightseeing at a peninsula on the southwest corner of Puerto Rico in the Cabo Rojo region last weekend. The area is known for diverse ecosystems that include limestone cliffs and coral reefs.
Early Sunday evening, the 2014 Columbus North High School graduate was shooting video near the edge of a cliff during what authorties described as “a recreational day trip.”
Witnesses told investigators they saw Garay Pagan, a native of Puerto Rico, trip over some stones while reportedly making a TikTok video and falling off a 70-foot coastal cliff, according to NotiCentro, a news service based in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The U.S. Coast Guard received a call at 6:50 p.m. Sunday from a 911 emergency operator who reported the incident, according to a Coast Guard news release. In response, a MH-60T helicopter took off from Air Station Borinquen, located 40 miles to the north, and flew multiple search patterns during the night, the release states.
Besides two Jayhawk helicopters, the search also included the Coast Guard Cutter Richard Dixon, as well as an HC-144 Ocean Sentry fixed wing aircraft.
Divers with the Puerto Rico Emergency Bureau that finally located the body Monday afternoon, according to the Public Affairs Office of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Garay Pagan was found in an underwater cave near the Los Morrillos lighthouse in the same area where rescuers had concentrated their search on Sunday. Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander Capt. Jose E. Diaz said the body was found in “a highly inaccessible and challenging environment.”
A gofundme account has been set up seeking donations to help the family return him to Columbus for a funeral.
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.
