Teen drowns in Keuka Lake while visiting family

URBANA, N.Y. – A 19-year-old died from drowning in Keuka Lake on Friday. The teen’s body was found after a 10-hour search.

The Steuben County Sheriff’s Office says Ahmed Ayaz of Maryland drowned while visiting his family in the Town of Urbana. Deputies say he jumped off a pontoon boat into the lake without a life jacket and couldn’t swim back to the boat.

The Steuben County Mobile Crisis Team responded just before 1:45 p.m. to the drowning.

The Sheriff’s Office worked alongside the New York State Police, local fire departments, Steuben County Emergency Management, and other agencies for the search. Crews eventually found the body using sonar and recovered it using an underwater drone.

“Our hearts go out to the Ayaz family and our thoughts and prayers are for their recovery from this tragedy,” said a statement from Steuben County Sheriff Jim Allard.