25-year-old man drowns in Lake Berryessa, marking the second death there in two weeks

A man’s body was recovered from Lake Berryessa Sunday evening, marking the second weekend in a row that a swimmer has drowned in the lake.

The Napa County Sheriff’s Office responded to the lake around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, on reports that a man had disappeared while swimming across the lake from the Oak Shores Day Use Area at 5560 Knoxville Road.

Cal Fire, California Highway Patrol’s air operations and American Medical Response also responded to the scene.

Divers from the Sheriff’s Office Underwater Search and Recovery Team recovered the man’s body around 6:30 p.m. The body was found about 15 feet offshore and about 12 feet underwater, said Henry Wofford, spokesman for the Napa County Sheriff’s Office.

The Napa County Coroner’s Office identified the man as Marcos Salvador Grijalva Pocasangre, 25, a citizen of Guatemala. The coroner’s office said Pocasangre was visiting family in San Pablo.

Witnesses say Pocasangre went underwater while attempting to swim from one side of the cove to the other, according to a Napa County Sheriff news release.

Wofford said the man was an experienced swimmer, making him the second such swimmer to drown in the lake in the last two weeks. Last summer, six experienced swimmers died in the lake over the course of six months.

Wofford said that these experienced swimmers often drown due to underestimating distances in the lake. The lake is larger than it looks, Wofford said, and fatigue can play a role in the drownings, especially if alcohol or drugs are involved.

In addition, there are strong currents within the lake that are not anticipated by many swimmers, Wofford said.

The exact cause of the drowning has not yet been identified.

This story was originally published June 28, 2021 at 10:23 AM.