[Update] Body Found in Local Drainage Pond
The search continued on Tuesday for a man who was believed to have drowned on Sunday, May 20. His body was found just before 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
***Warning: Some images may be graphic***
A body has been pulled from a nearby drainage pond, in the Exeter community, following reports that a man had been seen and heard yelling for help from the water early Sunday morning.
Investigators found the body just before 3 p.m. on Tuesday shortly after enlisting the assistance of a cadaver dog. At this time, the preliminary identification of the body is Emerson Aldron Ramirez Edejer, a 20-year-old man, who was reported missing by family members early Sunday evening.
Exeter resident Deanna Verdonkschot watched as police continued their investigation. She was one of two neighbors who heard his cry for help early Sunday.
"I was inside my house and I heard him yelling and I thought 'Oh, teenage kids',” Verdonkschot said, who has seen people fishing and hanging out around the pond in the past.
“I ran out the front door to get a better look, ran around the back and saw my neighbor with a cell phone calling 911," she said. "I looked out in the water and I saw the person. I just kept visual.”
Verdonkschot said one of her neighbor’s tried to find and reach the person who was in distress. She described the victim as a young Hispanic male who was submerged up to his neck with water.
“He was about halfway from land to the water fountain. His head was tilted back and his mouth was open,” she said. “By the time I got visual on him I would say about three more helps and he went under.”
Deanna Verdonkschot
6:50 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
I'm so very sorry to the family for their loss.
Leah M. Kosin
11:12 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
I found out last night that a friend of mine lives right next door to the family. It isn't very far from the Best Buy shopping center.
Julie
1:11 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
God Bless You Deanna & All Of The Neighbors Who Tried To Help This Young Man.
Leah M. Kosin
8:01 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Thank you Deanna for taking the time to speak with me today as well as getting involved when the incident first occurred.
Deanna Verdonkschot
10:53 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Thank you Leah. I hope his family will know that my neighbors and I did our very best to help Emerson and that I was at the waters edge praying for him as the rescue crew began their search.
sarah e evans
9:39 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
This is just so heartbreaking.
Julie
11:32 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Does the LPD choose Not to release some of there investigations?concluded cases?
Leah M. Kosin
11:57 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Julie: Your question would be of great interest to Officer Chris Tidmore who is running a bi-weekly column called "Ask the Cop". I'd be more than happy to include your question for next week's post.
Julie
11:52 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
The body of a 52 year old female was found in the W&OD Regional Park September 8 2010 behind the vacant Douglas building but never reported in the news like the man who was found deceased Aug 25 2010 by LPD in Balls Bluff Park? The female was 911 Reported by a Church friend @ 11:00a.m. as a suicide in progress, her 5th 911 reported suicide attempt atleast in Leesburg as she was diagnosed with multiple Mental Illness's & had just been put out of the homeless shelter September 6 2010 as her allotted time to stay there was up. The female was found between 6,6:30p.m. the afternoon of September 8 2010, Over 7 hours after being Reported endangered, missing. She was less than .335 of a mile from 1 of only 2 cell Towers which her cell phone uses & her Phones gps Location was set to E911. Did I miss this report in the news?
Leah M. Kosin
12:00 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Julie: Leesburg Patch was just getting started around this time. Chances are we wouldn't have covered it but I'd be happy to search our history. As for other media outlets...I'm not sure. Did all of these incidents occur in Leesburg?
Julie
1:23 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Leah searching the history of the Leesburg Patch would be greatly Appreciated @ your convenience Thank you & you are more than welcome to submit my inquiry of the September 8 2010 finding of deceased female in the W&OD park in the 'Ask A Cop' forum. A good forum to have, Great suggestion, Thank you.
Julie
1:02 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Yes Leah I do know that LPD, Loudoun Sheriff's Dept. forensic tech was there as LPD tech was not available & Fire & Rescue. I believe it was Between 5 & 7 LPD that were involved. The deceased was a 23 year employee with United Airlines whose health went into decline after another 911, September 11 2001 as she was a flight attendant working inflight that tradgic day, her Ua flight diverted back to Frankfurt once the Pilot was notified of The hijackings that were taking place in the U.S.
Julie
1:06 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The deceased's name is Holly Phields Farmer. She was to depart Washington Dulles the morning of Sept 8 2010 for training as United medical Released to back to work August 20 2010 from a brief leave.
Cassie M.
7:22 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
why couldn't he swim out?
Leah M. Kosin
7:33 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Cassie: My guess is he couldn't swim. Why he was near the water who knows. I took a walk around the pond on Monday and it looked disgusting. The police are still investigating.
Megan
8:33 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
I was there the whole time and my brother tried to help him but sadly he couldnt
Dak Washbrook
10:26 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Hey Megan, you guys saw him calling for help and were actively trying to help him out but couldnt? But then they couldnt find his body til Tuesday?? This does not add up.
Leah M. Kosin
10:32 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Dak: The drainage pond was quite large. When I was watching the divers conduct their search they came out of the water covered in all sorts of grime. My guess is it was very dark and filthy under the water, which may have caused some issues for the search team on day one. It rained on Tuesday so the search was called off. They found him on Wednesday as soon as the rain stopped.