ADDISON COUNTY — Vermont State Police (VSP) and a variety of local emergency responders mobilized earlier this week for separate reports of swimmers in distress in Bristol and Ferrisburgh, with both cases sadly resulting in deaths.

The first case involved a Burlington youth who died following a plunge into the New Haven River at Bartlett’s Falls in Bristol late Saturday afternoon, June 21.

According to the VSP’s investigation, 18-year-old Eljak Menjwak of Burlington drowned after jumping from the falls (off Lincoln Road) at around 5:10 p.m. He immediately began to struggle in the water, according to witnesses.

Bystanders were unable to pull him from the river, according to police.

Multiple fire and rescue agencies responded to emergency calls, including technical rescue, and responders recovered Menjwak’s body from the river at about 8 p.m., state police reported.

There are no indications this incident was suspicious, according to authorities.

Menjwak’s body was taken to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy to determine cause and manner of death.

Bartlett’s Falls, while scenic and refreshing on a hot day, has claimed several lives through the years through various swimming, diving and jumping accidents.

The second drowning fatality occurred in Lake Champlain, offshore from the Basin Harbor Club in Ferrisburgh, on Tuesday night, June 24.

Police received a report at about 9:25 p.m. that a 30-year-old man who’d been swimming in the lake had gone under the water and had not resurfaced. Responding crews located the man in the water and brought him to shore. Lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at about 10:10 p.m.

Police at press time hadn’t released the man’s name, pending notification of next of kin.

The man’s body was taken to the Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

There are no indications this incident is suspicious, police said.

In addition to state police, responders to the incident included Addison, Charlotte, Ferrisburgh and Vergennes firefighters, and the Vergennes Area Rescue Squad.