Indiana Man Visiting Puerto Rico Found Dead After Falling Off 70-Foot Coastal Cliff Near Lighthouse
U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan/Facebook Edgar Garay
The U.S. Coast Guard in San Juan announced the death of a 27-year-old man from Indiana who died while visiting Puerto Rico in January.
The body of Edgar Garay was found on Monday after witnesses saw him "stumble toward the edge" of a cliff near the lighthouse in Cabo Rojo the previous day, authorities said.
"We express our most heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Edgar Garay and pray they find closure and strength during this most difficult time," Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander Capt. José E. Díaz said in a statement.
Díaz added: "We appreciate the efforts of all the Coast Guard, Puerto Rico Police and partner agency emergency responders, especially the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Bureau dive unit who was able to locate Mr. Garay's body in such a highly inaccessible and challenging environment."
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The Coast Guard said Garay was on a "recreational day trip" to the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico when he was last seen alive Sunday evening near the cliff's edge. Officials in San Juan received a call at 6:50 p.m. Sunday from a 911 emergency operator who first reported the incident.
"A witness at the scene later relayed to watch standers that they saw Garay stumble towards the edge of the cliff," the Coast Guard said in their news release.
"A Coast Guard MH-60T helicopter launched from Air Station Borinquen and conducted multiple search patterns during the night," they continued.
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In an interview with NBC affiliate WTHR, Garay's brother, Carlos, said his sibling was shooting a social media video before he fell from the cliff.
"My brother has a TikTok account that he loved to upload videos to," said Carlos. "Unfortunately, that was what he was trying to do when he was closer to the edge than he should have been."
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Carlos said Garay sustained head injuries in the fall.
Their family is raising money to bring Garay's body back home and has since raised over $3,000.
"He was just visiting," Carlos told WTHR. "So, for him to be laid and his final resting place somewhere miles upon miles away from here is just awful and devastating."
