***Update*** The Fresno County Sheriff - Coroner Office has identified the drowning victim as 29-year-old Daniel Jimenez Ortiz of Fresno.
Shortly before 9:00 Monday morning, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Dive Team recovered the body of a man from the bottom of Avocado Lake.
Deputies used snorkel gear to locate the man about 15 feet off shore and approximately 10 feet down in the water. They were able to find him after only 10 minutes of searching the lake.
On Sunday, at approximately 5:30 pm, deputies responded to Avocado Lake Park located at 3401 N. Piedra Road regarding a missing person. Deputies spoke with friends of the victim who said they all went to the park at 2:30 pm for a picnic and to do some swimming.
Around 3:00pm, a friend saw the victim walk down to the beach area at the southwest cove to go swimming. They remember seeing him swim half way across the cove, approximately 40-50 yards, and swim back to the shore. The victim was said to be a strong swimmer. The friend recalls seeing the victim get out of the water and stand on the beach where he had originally gotten in. He said he lost track of the victim after that because he began to concentrate on visiting with everyone at the picnic.
Around 4:30 pm, people in the group could not find the victim. They searched the area, but had no success so they called the Sheriff’s Office for help.
Two witnesses told deputies the victim had been drinking beer and appeared to be intoxicated due to his eyes being red and his speech being slurred.
Additional deputies and the Sheriff’s Office helicopter, Eagle 1, responded to check the area, but were unable to locate the missing man. Deputies went to the victim’s home, but he was not there. The Dive Team was then scheduled to check the water Monday morning.
With summer fast approaching, the Sheriff’s Office would like to remind people to be safe while doing activities in and around water. Take simple precautions such as: Wear a life jacket, stay close to shore if you’re not an experienced swimmer and do not mix alcohol and swimming. Alcohol causes swimmers to fatigue faster than normal and can create dangerous situations.
