Just before 3:00 pm on Saturday, August 27th, a person contacted the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and advised a boat had capsized on the water while carrying a lone occupant.
The male occupant, 56 year old Michael Flynn, went under the water for a few minutes. The man had been in a 13’ aluminum fishing boat and had recently dropped off his friend on the shore. The man was not wearing a life jacket or any other type of personal flotation device. After the boat capsized, the friend on shore initially tried to swim over and help the drowning victim but he had to turn around due to water and wind conditions.
Two nearby hikers ran over to help and swam out to the victim, eventually pulling him to shore. The hikers performed CPR on the victim but it was determined that he was deceased. CHP H40 helicopter pilot/paramedics and a FSO deputy arrived on scene. The victim was later loaded onto the helicopter and flown to FYI airport. The body was turned over to the Coroner’s Office. Flynn is from the Terra Bella / Ducor area.
The FSO Boating Unit arrived at Edison Lake and will be handling the investigation. It was discovered there had been a life jacket inside the capsized boat. Based on the initial investigation, alcohol appears to be a contributing factor in the accident.
With summer temperatures still lingering, 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.
