Woman walking her dog spots dead body in canal in central Fresno

A woman walking her dog spotted a dead body in a canal Saturday afternoon in central Fresno, a fire department official said.

The deceased person was identified by the Fresno County Coroner’s Office on Monday as William Soundara, 39, of Fresno.

The woman was walking her dog on the canal bank south of McKinley Avenue between Cedar Avenue and Highway 168 when she saw the body pinned at the bottom of the canal.

By the time Fresno County Fire Department personnel arrived after firefighters assigned to its water-rescue unit were diverted from assisting with a fire along Highway 99 at Jensen Avenue, the body had been freed by the current and was drifting.

“The current here at the canal, although on the surface looks calm, is deceptively swift,” said Shane Brown, public information officer for the Fresno County Fire Department.

The body was eventually recovered.

It wasn’t immediately clear how long the body was trapped underwater.

Cause of death also remains under investigation.

This story was originally published May 23, 2020 at 3:26 PM.