ITHACA -- Authorities were investigating the death of a Cornell University student whose body was recovered from the creek in the Ithaca gorge where he had been swimming.

Emergency officials said 18-year-old Douglas Lowe of Shelton, Conn., was swimming in Fall Creek Thursday evening when he slid down a waterfall and called for help after hitting the water below.

Other swimmers tried to rescue him but were unsuccessful. Police and emergency crews were called to the scene, and divers found his body more than three hours after he went under.

Lowe had just completed his freshman year at Cornell in industrial and labor relations and was enrolled in the university's three-week summer session.

The base of the falls where Lowe went under is known for having treacherous currents and underwater ledges. Swimming is prohibited.

"This particular location in Fall Creek has a history of tragic drownings," said Ithaca Fire Department Lt. Dave Burbank.