Authorities identify men found dead after separate paddleboarding incidents in Morris County
MORRIS COUNTY, N.J. — The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has released the names of two men who were found dead Sunday following separate paddleboarding incidents at Tilcon Lake in Mount Olive Township and Lake Hopatcong in Roxbury Township.
Authorities identified the man involved in the Tilcon Lake incident as Jonathan Gresseau, 23, of Netcong Borough, and the man involved in the Lake Hopatcong incident as Kaushik Sharma, 41, of Edison.
Gresseau was reported missing at approximately 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, after falling into Tilcon Lake, located off Kinney Road in Mount Olive Township.
According to the prosecutor’s office, a group of adults had been paddleboarding on the lake when Gresseau fell into the water. Others in the group were unable to rescue him and called for help.
The prosecutor’s office said paddleboarding is not permitted on Tilcon Lake.
Authorities searched for Gresseau Saturday night and Sunday morning. He was located deceased at approximately 11 a.m. Sunday and subsequently recovered from the lake.
Authorities said an examination by the medical examiner will be conducted and no foul play is suspected.
The response included the New Jersey State Police, Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Mount Olive Police Department, New Jersey Park Police, Budd Lake Fire Department, Flanders Fire Department, Parsippany Rescue and Recovery, Rockaway Township Fire Department, Roxbury Fire Department No. 2, Morris County fire coordinators, Morris County Communications Center and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit.
Tilcon Lake is an 88-acre lake in the Mount Olive Township portion of Allamuchy Mountain State Park. According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the lake was created after severe flooding in the early 2000s caused the Musconetcong River to breach its banks and inundate a former quarry. The NJDEP says the lake reaches a depth of approximately 50 feet at its deepest point.
Hours after Gresseau was found, authorities responded to a separate incident involving Sharma at Hopatcong State Park in Roxbury Township.
A potential drowning was reported at approximately 2:30 p.m. Sunday after bystanders spotted an unattended paddleboard and notified a nearby beach lifeguard. The lifeguard then alerted first responders.
Authorities believe Sharma had been paddleboarding in an area of the beach that was not supervised by lifeguards, according to the prosecutor’s office.
A multiagency search followed, and Sharma was located deceased in the water at approximately 7 p.m. by the New Jersey State Police Technical Emergency and Mission Specialists unit.
The response included New Jersey State Park Police, NJSP TEAMS, NJSP Marine Services, Roxbury Police Department, Morris County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit and Emergency Services Unit, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, Roxbury Fire Department, Parsippany Rescue & Recovery, Hopatcong Fire, Hopatcong EMS and Long Valley First Aid Squad.
An examination by the Morris County Medical Examiner’s Office will be conducted. The incident remains under investigation by New Jersey State Park Police and New Jersey State Police, and authorities said no foul play is suspected.
Anyone with information about the Tilcon Lake incident is asked to contact the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit through the Morris County Communications Center at 973-285-2900.
