Every year, hundreds of people, maybe thousands, come from all around to go cliff jumping into the Schuylkill River. If you've ever googled "Cliff Jumping in Pennsylvania," then you have likely seen the infamous Peace Rock. It gets its name from the peace sign spray painted on its most protruding spot. It is without a doubt a beautiful spot; however, it has been destroyed by garbage from party-goers who hold no regard for nature. The beach that sits across the river is covered in broken glass from beer bottles, and just about anything that would normally belong in a trash can.
Recently, more and more videos have come out showcasing the rock. Each video showing a ton of people partying, getting rowdy and having a great time. Peace Rock really is a fun place to go, but aside from the how high the rock is it doesn't really show you how dangerous of a place it is. It also doesn't tell you how many people die there each year. Just last week, two people drowned; one on Sunday, and one the following Monday. Generally, the people who drown are the out-of-towners. The general thought is that people hit the bottom and drown after breaking something. Here, that is not the case; here there are a few ways people drown. The first being strong underwater currents that keep the jumper underwater, causing them to panic and eventually drown. These currents may not always be present and are impossible to predict. The second way people drown is trying to swim across after jumping. Here, they can drown from having a panic attack from the increased heart rate from jumping off the cliff, and then over-exerting themselves. On top of that, the current may just be too strong for them, so they begin to panic and try to fight it. This is probably the most common occurrence because people tend to believe it's safer to jump after periods of rain when the river is up, but as the river rises the current becomes faster and more dangerous. The last way people drown, and if you ask most of the rock-goers, it's the only way people drown, is if they're drunk. Which, to be fair, most of the people there are drinking, and that causes fatigue and a number of other things that will lead to drowning.
Aside from the rock, there are two other spots to swim just down the river, the rope swing and the dam itself. The rope swing is perfectly safe; there is about a six-foot drop right off the back, and it's about 10 feet deep where you land. I have snorkeled both of those spots, so I can guarantee its depths; at its deepest, the river is about 15 feet. Even if you did manage to hit bottom somehow, you'd hit mud; there are no large rocks to break your leg on anywhere in this area. The other place people go to swimming is the dam. Only recently have I seen people going here to swim. No one has died there this year, but I have heard horror stories from some of the old fishermen where boats went over the dam and their passengers' bodies were never found.
Perhaps the most dangerous thing about Peace Rock is that no one thinks it will be them. This year, the rock has only claimed two lives; on average it probably takes five to eight per year, and I feel like that's even a low guess. Authorities have yet to make a decision on what to do because people are already trespassing on railroad property, and it generates a bit of revenue from tourism to the town of Port Clinton. If you decide to go there, clean up your trash, be safe, and look after your friends; it could very well be the last time you see them.
