Body pulled from Tomahawk Lake in Sparta

SPARTA -  The body of a 39-year-old man was recovered from Tomahawk Lake Sunday morning after he was reported missing Saturday evening, the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Edison Gomez, 39, of New York City, was pulled from Tomahawk Lake, a water park in Sparta, at about 10 a.m. Sunday, First Assistant Prosecutor Greg Mueller said.

Gomez was at the water park Saturday with his two friends and a cousin, all from New York City. He last seen by them at about 5:45 p.m., 15 minutes before Tomahawk Lake closed for the day, and appeared to be fine, Mueller said.

Tomahawk Lake employees called 911 to report a male swimmer missing at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Mueller said.

Gomez was last seen entering a restricted roped-off area of the lake that was not authorized for swimming, Mueller said.

Rescue crews from Byram Police, the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Jersey State Police Dive Team searched extensively for Gomez into the early Sunday morning hours before finding him later that morning at 10 a.m., Mueller said.

An autopsy was performed Monday morning and the cause and manner of death is pending toxicology results, which could take up to two weeks, Mueller said.

Byram Police, Sparta Police, New Jersey State Police and the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office are all participating in the investigation into the death.

Law enforcement is investigating if drugs and alcohol were factors in the death, Mueller said.

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@GannettNJ.com