The Fresno County Sheriff – Coroner’s Office has identified the victim of a drowning in Avocado Lake as 18 year old Alejandro Mendoza of Fresno.
Around 6:20 pm on Sunday, dispatchers at the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call of from visitors at Avocado Lake Park, located at 3625 N. Piedra Road in Sanger. The caller said their 18 year old family member, Alejandro Mendoza, disappeared underwater and had not resurfaced. He reportedly was playing with a soccer ball in shallow water when the ball drifted away into deeper water. Mendoza swam after the ball to retrieve it, which was approximately 25 yards off shore. Family members saw him go under the water and never come back up. Mendoza’s relatives on shore did not know how to swim, so they quickly called 911. Meanwhile, a young man visiting the park and not related to the family, heard them screaming so he decided to try and help. He is a good swimmer and trained in CPR so he dove into the lake and swam to the area Mendoza was last seen. However, due to poor visibility in the water, the man could not see more than five feet deep and had no luck finding Mendoza.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Boating and Dive Unit, EAGLE One helicopter, along with members of Fresno County Fire and EMS responded to the north end of the lake to help with the rescue. Around 7:50 pm, a deputy working as part of the Sheriff’s Dive Team found Mendoza about 20 feet down in the lake. The deputy brought him to shore and EMS personnel attempted CPR, but could not revive him.
The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind you to be safe while doing your water activities. Take simple precautions such as: Wear a life jacket, stay close to shore if you’re not an experienced swimmer and do not mix alcohol and swimming. Alcohol causes swimmers to fatigue faster than normal and can create dangerous situations. Also, please keep an eye on your children at all times. In less than a minute they can slip into the water and be put at risk for injury or death.
