Abandoned Quarries
IN LOVING MEMORY
Johnathan Marcel Baksh
of Edison, NJ
11/12/95 - 8/17/15
Johnathan's Story
These photos were taken at Martin's Creek (Eastern Industries) abandoned quarry located in Lower Mount Bethel, PA just days after it claimed the life of my 19-year-old son, Jonathan. He was an excellent swimmer, but was unaware of the dangers abandoned quarries posed when he went swimming with his friends for a day of fun. He was one of 80 people to jump into the quarry that day, but when he jumped, he failed to resurface and as a result, he drowned from cold water shock. He was the second person to die in that quarry just in that year.
This website is intended to help educate the public about the dangers of abandoned quarries. This water safety information was never taught in our schools. Too many lives are lost each year because people are unaware of what a quarry really is and of the life-threatening dangers hidden under and around these open waters.
I lost my son, his siblings lost a brother, but perhaps this information can save a family of this devastation. Please take the time to share this information. Look at the photos. Have a discussion. Make sure your family knows the dangers.
Sally Yabra (Jonathan’s mom)
The Jonathan Baksh Foundation, Inc.
PLEASE SPREAD AWARENESS SO THIS DOESN’T HAPPEN TO SOMEONE YOU KNOW
Inside Edition Reports
Inside Edition - July 28, 2016
Thousands of quarries exist across the country but some can be disastrous. Jonathan Baksh, 19, jumped into Martin's Creek quarry in Pennsylvania in 2015, but he never made it back to land after suffering a cramp in the water. His mom was stunned when she found out her son was the second young man to die in quarry that year. Now, as the one year anniversary of her son's passing arrives next month, she's on a crusade to tell the world about the dangers of swimming in quarries.
Please take the time to watch. It explains in more detail of some of the dangers.
Jonathan had signed up to be an organ donor and ended up provided hope and healing to many in need. The Gift of Life Donor Program facilitated his donation and offered bereavement support to the family. Sally, inspired by Jonathan's heroic act, began raising awareness about organ and tissue donation.
Jonathan's gifts, including his corneas, heart valves and bone and skin grafts, impacted 25 people across the country, allowing some to regain sight and others to walk and embrace life once more. Despite his physical absence, Jonathan's legacy lives on, a testament to his bravery and the lives he touched.
Please consider becoming an organ donor and save a life.