Placer sheriff identifies three men who drowned in American River near Soda Springs

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office released the names of the three men who were found in the American River on Sunday after jumping into the water last week.

Matthew Anthony, 44, of New York City, and Matthew Schoenecker, 50, and Valentino Creus, 59, both of Los Angeles, were recovered Sunday, following their disappearance Wednesday after going into the American River’s Rattlesnake Falls.

The men were part of a six-person hiking group traversing steep terrain near Soda Springs, according to the Sheriff’s Office. After alerting authorities just before 3 p.m. that day, the remaining hikers were airlifted from the canyon.

The Sheriff’s Office mobilized divers, rescue units, Cal Fire’s Technical Rescue Team and a California Highway Patrol helicopter.

According to a statement from the Sheriff’s Office, the rescue effort faced difficulty accessing the remote location and working with weather conditions. Increasing winds suspended aerial surveys on Thursday, the Sheriff’s Office said, and dive team members faced reduced visibility due to debris and strong currents. When conditions improved on Sunday, the Sheriff’s Office resumed its search and found Anthony, Schoenecker and Creus.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families, friends and all those affected by this tragic loss,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote Sunday on X.