Weekend Swimmer Drowns In The San Gabriel River
This past weekend's Carmageddon evoked the active spirit in many Angelenos. Locals promised their vehicles they'd return to the wheel on Monday and embraced alternate modes of transportation - bicycling, rollerblading and even swimming. But the latter proved least reliable.
A Hispanic man in his thirties drown in the San Gabriel River on Sunday. Officials believe he was swimming.
The incident occurred near a section of the Rio Hondo Flood Control Basin near El Monte, according to CBS Los Angeles. Emergency responders arrived at the location to witness the man disappear under water, failing to resurface.
After recovered below six to eight feet of water, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
This unfortunate scenario is all-too common. Apparently, recreational swimming near dangerous flood channels occurs often for a variety of reasons.
“I’ve been on calls where people’s cell phones go in, there’s numerous reasons people get in those channels," says Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Quvondo Johnson. “They think it’s safe and it’s actually not.”
Another man in his thirties was retrieved safely from the water. Officials are currently investigating the mens' relation.
