A 17-year-old Belle Vernon youth drowned while swimming across the Youghiogheny River in Cedar Creek Park;Rostraver Twp.Monday;April 19;1976. Westmoreland County Coroner Stephen D.Yoney said William Russell Weitz of 406 Mutich Ave.;Belle Vernon;was swimming with four companions when he went under at about 4 p.m. Yoney said the body was recovered by members of the Greensburg Fire Company and their scuba divers at 7:25 p.m. and he was pronounced dead of suffocation due to drowning at 7:30 p.m. by Yoney and Deputy Coroner James Stump. He was swimming with Frank Rebel;16;of 415 Mutich Ave.;Belle Vernon;and three other companions;Walt Strychalski;Kim Owens and Kevin Rich;all of Belle Vernon. According to Yoney;the three pulled Rebel;who had lost consciousness;out of the water and revived him; They probably saved his life Yoney added. Rebel had attempted to reach Weitz who may have developed cramps;but was unsuccessful. Rostraver police said divers from Sunnyside and Gallatin were also at the scene as well as fire companies from Rostraver Central;Webster;Collinsburg;West Newton and Smithton. Rstraver Police Chief Carl Jones said the youths had entered the water on the Cedar Creek Park side of the river and were attempting to swim across. He was not sure of the distance or the exact location where Weitz went under. The body was pulled from the water on the opposite side of the river;Jones said. Weitz was born in Pittsburgh on December 31;1958 and had attended Belle Vernon Area schools where he was a member of the senior class. He had enlisted in the delayed enlistment program of the U.S.Air Force and was to have been inducted in June. He attended the First United Methodist Church of Belle Vernon. Surviving are his parents;Mr.and Mrs.William E.Weitz;a sister;Leah Carol;at home;and his maternal grandparents;Mr.and Mrs.Russell B.Smith of Monessen. Friends will be received at the Shelby D.Ferguson Funeral Home;700 Broad Ave.;Belle Vernon;Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. and Wednesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Burial in Belle Vernon Cemetery on Thursday.