Official: Swimming Accident Possibly Behind Death In San Gabriel River
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A man who was found dead in the San Gabriel River may have likely been killed while swimming, officials said Monday.
Emergency responders on Sunday were called to a section of the Rio Hondo Flood Control Basin near El Monte, where a Hispanic male in his 30s went under water and never resurfaced.
He was pronounced dead at the scene after being recovered from under six to eight feet of water.
KNX 1070's Brian Ping reports fire officials are not ruling out a recreational swimming accident in what they say is an all-too common scenario around the dangerous flood channels.
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"I've been on calls where people's cell phones go in, there's numerous reasons people get in those channels, said Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Quvondo Johnson. "They think it's safe and it's actually not."
Another man, also in his 30s, was pulled from the water safely, but officials said it's unclear whether the two are related.
