Drowning at Modesto Reservoir
September 15, 2024 – Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office officials report that they regret to inform the public of another tragic drowning incident in our area. This latest occurrence makes the tenth drowning this year, surpassing the previous annual record of eight drownings. With three and a half months remaining in the year, we are deeply concerned about this alarming trend.
On Saturday, September 14, 2024, at about 11:06 a.m., deputies responded to a report about a possible drowning of a male near San Jose Island at Modesto Reservoir. The male was last seen wearing swim trunks and no life jacket.
At about 11:30 a.m., deputies located the male in the water and unresponsive. Deputies dove into the water and transported the victim to shore where life-saving measures were started by medical personnel. Unfortunately, the male was pronounced deceased at noon. He was identified as a 49-year-old Asian male from Long Beach, CA.
The victim was transported to the Stanislaus County Coroner's Office, where an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death. We extended our deepest condolences to the victim's friends and family.
We are saddened by each of these tragic losses. This unprecedented number of drownings is a stark reminder of the critical importance of water safety. We urge all residents and visitors to exercise extreme caution around all bodies of water.
We would also like to remind the community of these basic water safety tips: 1) wear a proper fitting 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, and if you are not a strong swimmer remain in areas where you can stand with your head above 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
