Body of 20-year-old man recovered after drowning in California’s South Yuba River
The body of a 20-year-old Stockton man who went missing Sunday afternoon after presumably drowning in Northern California’s South Yuba River was recovered Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.
The man disappeared in the river around 4 p.m. Sunday near Nevada County’s Bridgeport area, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and Nevada County Consolidated Fire District said Tuesday in social media posts.
Crews located and recovered the body shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday, the Sheriff’s Office said in an update Thursday morning. Authorities confirmed the body as that of the missing Stockton man. His name has not been released pending notification of family, the Sheriff’s Office said.
A multi-agency search took place Monday involving sheriff’s deputies, California State Parks officials, multiple fire departments and a dive team.
“After a lengthy and difficult search the person was not located,” Nevada County Consolidated Fire District officials wrote. “Yet another unfortunate reminder of how unforgiving the river is.”
Searches continued on an ongoing basis, the Sheriff’s Office said. The body was ultimately recovered by a team made up of personnel from numerous agencies including Nevada County and Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue teams, the California Highway Patrol, California State Parks, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local fire departments. A Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office drone was also used, Nevada County authorities said.
The drowning marked at least the second this year on the South Yuba River. A 17-year-old from Washington state died in April while kayaking on the river, Nevada County fire officials said.
“We can’t repeat the warning enough, please stay out of the Yuba River, it is not safe for swimming at this time,” Nevada County deputies wrote.
Authorities continue to urge people to avoid Northern California rivers and other waterways, many of which are cold and raging due to record snowpack levels from winter. According to public safety officials and the National Weather Service, the waterways likely will not be warm enough for safe recreation until at least late July or early August.
A 15-year-old boy drowned Sunday evening on the Sacramento River near Sand Cove Park, Sacramento Fire Department officials said.
Two drownings were reported last month on the American River in Placer County. A 22-year-old Antelope man was found dead near Folsom Lake after being swept away near the confluence of the north and middle forks of the American River, authorities said. The body of a Bay Area man who jumped into the North Fork American River near Yankee Jims Bridge in the Foresthill area on May 14 has not yet been recovered.
This story was originally published June 6, 2023 at 2:55 PM.
