16-year-old drowns at Shaver Lake. Friends tried to help the teen, Fresno deputies say
.jpeg "The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office boat at Shaver Lake on Sunday, June 9, 2024.")
UPDATE: Shaver drowning victim ID’d as Orosi teen. He had life vest but didn’t clip it, sheriff says
A 16-year-old drowned at Shaver Lake on Sunday afternoon, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to the lake at 12:30 p.m. of reports of the teen who had jumped out of a pontoon boat at the popular recreation spot in the Sierra Nevada.
Lt. Joe Smith said the teen was on the boat with friends when he got out and then got separated from a personal flotation device before going under water.
His friends tried to get him above the water, but couldn’t see through the water, Smith said.
Deputies were nearby on a boat and got to the scene quickly, but couldn’t find the teen.
“Boating deputies were on scene long enough, they were able to spot the juvenile below the surface of the water, but he had already been under the water for almost an hour,” Smith said.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team recovered the body, Smith said.
This story was originally published June 9, 2024 at 2:24 PM.
