Company G Boy Drowns In Lake Near Camp At Pompton
Armando De Crosta, Who Lived In Hackensack, Had Eaten a Hearty Meal Just Before He Dove Into Water
Fast Trip With Pulmotor
Private Armando De Crosta, twenty one years old, of 35 Hoboken Road, Hackensack, a member of Company G, Fifth New Jersey Infantry, while swimming in the Pompton Lakes yesterday afternoon at 3:15 o'clock was hit with cramps and drowned.
Only about half an hour before he had eaten a hearty dinner and it is thought the plunge into the cold waters of the lake so shortly after brought on the attack of cramps.
Corporal Bernard Quinian and William Tallon, both of Paterson, dove for De Crosta when they saw him disapear beneath the water. The body, however, was not recovered until an hour later. Although there was no life in the body, every effort was made to resuscitate the soldier. The hospital corps applied first aid, and a pulmotor was used, but of no avail.
Chief Coyle of Paterson, was telephoned too, and he made the trip of nine miles through winding roads to Pompton in the remarkable time of eleven minutes, taking a pulmotor with him.
De Crosta was only a recruit, having enlisted at the Hackensack Armory only a few months ago.
His body was placed in a morgue at Pompton for the night and today was brought to Ricardo's Morgue here.
