Bay Area man drowns after trying to swim from island to lakeshore

A Bay Area man died after struggling during a swim at Lake Tulloch, according to the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office.

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The 31-year-old man from Campbell was with friends at the lake on Saturday afternoon in a residential area. He reportedly swam to an island about 90 feet from shore. While the man made it to the island, he then had to turn around and attempt the swim back. The man “was last seen struggling to stay above water near an offshore island while attempting to swim back to shore,” the department said in a social media post. The sheriff’s office said the man “became fatigued” and eventually “did not resurface.” He was not wearing a flotation device. 

Around 1 p.m., the sheriff’s office responded to a report of a potential drowning at the 900 block of Foothill Road in the town of Copperopolis. Multiple agencies responded, including Cal Fire and the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office Marine Safety Division Dive Team. After about three hours of searching, rescue crews using divers and an underwater vehicle were able to locate the missing man about 28 feet under the water’s surface. The man’s identity has not yet been released by authorities.

Request for further information from the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office were not returned before the time of publication.

The news comes as warm summer weather starts to arrive in much of California, though many rivers and lakes are still frigid after being fed by snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada. On Saturday, the water at the lake was reportedly about 67 degrees, according to Sea Temperature.

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The water can be dangerous for swimmers who are looking to escape the heat onshore but are unaware of how quickly the body can be affected by cold temperatures. The National Center for Cold Water Safety said a swimmer’s breathing can be affected when water drops below a seemingly warm 77 degrees. The center recommends that anyone swimming in water under 70 degrees take measures to protect their body temperature.