It started as a morning out on the water with friends. It ended as every family’s worst nightmare.
Carlo Gil, 31, went underwater while boating with a group near the Linden Avenue boat ramp in Philadelphia early Friday morning — and he never resurfaced.
Witnesses watched helplessly as the water swallowed him whole. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, launching a massive multi-agency search that included the U.S. Coast Guard. Boats swept the river. Crews searched the banks. Hours turned into days.
Eventually, officials made the painful decision to call off the active search — leaving his family with no answers and no closure.
Then, just before 1 p.m. on Monday, the Delaware River gave up what it had been holding.
Gil’s body was discovered along the waterline in Palmyra, Burlington County, New Jersey — miles from where he had last been seen alive.
“The case remains under investigation.” — New Jersey State Police
Authorities have not yet released details on how his body traveled that far downstream, or whether any circumstances surrounding his disappearance are considered suspicious. New Jersey State Police confirmed the investigation is still active and ongoing.
What This Means: The Delaware River has seen a troubling number of drowning incidents in recent years, particularly near boat ramps and recreational areas. Experts continue to warn that even experienced swimmers can be caught off guard by the river’s unpredictable currents — especially in the early morning hours when water conditions are hardest to read.
For Carlo Gil’s family and friends who were with him that Friday morning, the wait is finally over. But the questions surrounding exactly what happened on the Delaware River that day may take much longer to answer.
