EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. — A man is dead after a raft flipped over in the American River in El Dorado County Tuesday, according to the El Dorado County Fire Protection District.
Firefighters responded to reports of a person drowning on the South Fork of the American River in Lotus around 1:15 p.m. A man thought to be in his 60s was underwater and caught in tree branches.
The fire protection district said the man was in a private raft with two women. The two women got to safety after the raft overturned.
Firefighters and bystanders formed a human chain to pull the man out of the water but he died at the side of the river.
The fire protection district said it wasn't clear if the man was wearing a life jacket when the raft flipped.
This drowning comes less than 24 hours after a missing swimmer was pulled from the bottom of a lake in El Dorado County. The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said 19-year-old Mehki Clay, of Carmichael, was reported as a missing swimmer Monday at Jenkinson Lake. His body was pulled from the water Tuesday morning.
Several local agencies have warned about the rivers and lakes being colder and faster this year than in the past.
River tragedies are "completely preventable," according to California State Parks, by following the recommendations below:
- Anyone near the river should be wearing a life jacket in case of an unexpected fall into the river. We provide life jackets at no charge in the Confluence area and at Upper Lake Clementine.
- Actively supervise children at all times. Keep them away from the water.
- Do not overestimate your swimming abilities. Cold water and swift currents can exhaust a person in seconds.
- Swimming across Clark’s Hole (North Fork upstream from the Foresthill Bridge) is extremely dangerous, unnecessary, and has been the location of recent drownings.
- By the time a person is in need of rescue, there is virtually nothing we can do to save that person.
- If you find yourself in the river, aggressively swim to the shore, do not swim against the current. This uses energy very quickly and no one can swim upstream in swift currents.
- Many people have drowned attempting to save others. Focus on preventing a rescue for you and your loved ones.
Watch more on ABC10: Teen who drowned in El Dorado County remembered as 'gentle giant'
