Elderly woman dies after swimming accident at Hammonasset Beach

An elderly woman died after being pulled from the water at Hammonasset Beach State Park on Thursday.

According to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, rescue crews responded to the beach in the evening after a swimmer was reported to have gone underwater and not resurfaced.

A 94-year-old Chester woman was pulled from the water and was unresponsive, a DEEP spokesman said. An off-duty nurse began CPR until paramedics arrived.

According to DEEP, the victim was taken to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.

A DEEP spokesman said the woman’s name would not be released until next of kin were notified.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner should perform an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

The EnCon police are investigating.

According to DEEP, the response to Hammonasset involved EnCon police, Madison Police Department, Madison Fire Department, off-duty lifeguards and EnCon Rangers.