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 for a funeral.
Edgar “Chuwey” Garay Pagan, 27, Columbus, was sightseeing at a peninsula on the southwest corner of Puerto Rico in the Cabo Rojo region last weekend, investigators said. 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 a TikTok video near the edge of a cliff during what investigators described as “a recreational day trip.”
Witnesses told investigators they saw Garay Pagan, a native of Puerto Rico, trip over some stones and fall 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 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.”
“We express our most heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Edgar Garay Pagan and pray they find closure and strength during this most difficult time,” Diaz said in a written statement.
Emergency responders credited by the Coast Guard for their efforts in the search include the Puerto Rico Joint Forces of Rapid Action of the Police Bureau, and the Puerto Rico Emergency Bureau-Mayagüez Zone.
The family has established a gofundme account to raise money to return Garay Pagan to Columbus for a funeral.
How to help
A Go Fund Me account has been created to bring the body of Edgar ‘Chuwey’ Garay Pagan back to Indiana from Puerto Rico.
The gofundme account is under the title ‘Lets bring Chuwey home! (R.I.P Edgar Garay Pagan)
As of noon on Wednesday afternoon, 45 donations had been made. With a goal of $8,500, the account had raised $2,800.
