Man fishing with friends, family gets swept away after falling into canal, CA cops say
UPDATE: A body found in a canal is believed to be that of a man who was swept away after slipping and falling while fishing with family and friends, California deputies say.
San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority staff found a body matching the description of Lester Ashcraft, 56, who fell from a “steep embankment” May 31, in Delta-Mendota Canal on June 4, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office said in a June 7 Facebook post.
The San Joaquin County Medical Examiner’s Office found Ashcraft’s California Identification Card in the man’s pocket, deputies said.
Though deputies believe it is Ashcraft, official identification of the body is pending.
The original story is below.
An angler was swept away after slipping and falling into a canal, California deputies say.
Lester Ashcraft, 56, was fishing with family and friends at the Delta-Mendota Canal the evening of Friday, May 31, when he fell from a “steep embankment,” the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office said in a June 2 Facebook post.
The group rushed to save Ashcraft from the canal, but the current was so strong he “could not stay afloat,” deputies said.
He was carried away “by the rapid southbound current,” according to deputies.
During the search for Ashcraft, deputies said the San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority slowed the canal, however, the current was still unsafe, and divers could not enter the water.
Deputies said they, along with multiple agencies, searched for Ashcraft by air and on foot but could not find him.
The following day, deputies said they again looked for Ashcraft with no success.
Ashcraft’s recovery hinges on the canal’s current, according to deputies.
“We will continue to do everything possible until he is recovered,” deputies said.
Deputies said they entered Ashcraft’s information into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, as well as provided information about his case to nearby authorities.
“We want to remind the public that canals, lakes, rivers, and oceans have hidden hazards such as dangerous currents or waves, rocks or vegetation, and limited visibility that may not be obvious,” deputies said.
With summer approaching, deputies urged outdoor visitors to take precautions, “such as wearing a life jacket, staying away from the water in unknown conditions and if you are unable to swim.”
The Delta-Mendota Canal stretches for nearly 117 miles and ends “at the Mendota Pool about 30 miles west of Fresno,” according to the San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority.
The canal, which was completed in 1951, “is used for irrigation of land along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and to replace San Joaquin River water stored at Friant Dam,” the agency says.
This story was originally published June 3, 2024 at 10:03 AM.
