BY ROBERT L. BAKER

A 33-year-old woman was pronounced dead at Geisinger Community Medical Center on Sunday afternoon after emergency responders rescued the group she was swimming with from the South Branch of the Tunkhannock Creek.

Lackawanna County Coroner Tim Rowland said Chastity Cobb of Hop Bottom was pronounced dead at 2:04 p.m.
On Monday, he ruled her death an accidental drowning.

Emergency crews responded around 1 p.m. Sunday to rescue three people from a swimming area known as “little Rocky Glen” on Lithia Valley Road.

The trio was taken to GCMC, with one person’s condition assessed as critical and CPR in progress, said Tunkhannock Community Ambulance Chief Mike Henn. Factoryville Ambulance and Tunkhannock’s rescue dive team members were among the emergency responders on the scene.

The three were swimming near a rocky geologic formation where the currents “get tricky,” Mr. Henn said.
“It’s been a problem for years,” said Wyoming County Director of Emergency Management Eugene Dziak, referring to the stream. “That creek does not look like it will eat you up, but it will.”

The natural rock formation is in the custodial care of the Countryside Conservancy, which has “no swimming” signs posted.