Indiana man found dead after falling off 70-foot cliff in Puerto Rico, officials say

Crews in Puerto Rico have found the body of an Indiana man who fell off a coastal cliff.

U.S. Coast Guard officials said 27-year-old Edgar Garay fell off a 70-foot cliff near the Cabo Rojo lighthouse in southwestern Puerto Rico on Sunday, Jan. 29.

Garay, who lived in Columbus, Indiana, was originally from San Juan and left the Puerto Rico capital city Sunday for a “recreational day trip,” according to the Coast Guard.

A witness saw him “stumble towards the edge of the cliff,” and they called 911 to report the incident, officials said. Garay was with his “brother, his sister-in-law and a friend,” according to Puerto Rico publication El Vocero.

Helicopter crews searched for Garay on Sunday night, and the searches continued Monday.

His body was discovered by divers Monday, according to emergency management officials.

Garay was found “in an underwater cave where the rescuers concentrated the operation,” Puerto Rico publication La Perla del Sur reported.

The cliffs near the lighthouse do not have railings, and a Puerto Rico tourism website said multiple people die in the area each year.

“The memorial markers at the cliffs’ edges should remind you to stay a safe distance from the edge,” Puerto Rico Day Trips said. “The limestone is fragile and it is prone to breaking off. What seems like sturdy ground may actually only be a couple inches thick with nothing but the ocean below.”

This story was originally published January 30, 2023 at 1:42 PM with the headline "Indiana man found dead after falling off 70-foot cliff in Puerto Rico, officials say."