Drowning at the Stanislaus River
August 8, 2024 – Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office officials report that on August 6th, 2024, at about 7:45 p.m., a 911 call was received regarding a distressed male in the Stanislaus River in Salida. A group of friends and family gathered when one of them went into the river and began having difficulties swimming. The victim, Marcos Garcia, a 26-year-old Hispanic male from Salida, jumped into the river to help, and other group members followed. All of them were able to make it back on shore except for Garcia.
The Sheriff's Office deputies, Fire Department, and Sheriff's Office Air Unit responded to the area to help search for Garcia. At about 8:18 p.m., the air unit located Garcia and guided the ground units to his location. One of the deputies helping with the search jumped in the water and recovered him. As soon as he was out of the water, life-saving measures were initiated, but unfortunately, Garcia was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Garcia was then transported to the Stanislaus County Coroner's Office, where an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death. We extend our deepest condolences to Marcos Garcia's family and friends during this time.
We would also like to remind the community of these basic water safety tips: 1.) wear a life jacket as provided for free by County Parks & Recreation, regardless of your swimming abilities, 2.) know your limitations when entering any body of water, 3.) moderate your alcohol intake, 4.) always swim with someone else who can provide or reach out to others for help, and 5.) everyone is a safety officer, if you see someone struggling to swim, please call 911 immediately.
If you do not own a life jacket, several stations throughout the county loan life jackets free of charge. Here is a link to a list of where those stations are located: https://www.modestogov.com/3112/Life-Jacket-Loaner-Program.
Source: Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office
