UPDATED: Officials ID body of man found floating in Shasta Lake

UPDATED: Friday, Feb. 23, 11:30 p.m. with victim’s identification.

SHASTA LAKE — Officials are conducting a death investigation after a fisherman found a man’s body floating in the northern end of the Sacramento Arm of Shasta Lake, Tuesday, Feb. 20.

Shasta County Coroner’s officials later identified the victim as 60-year-old, William Alan Beckwith, of Corning. According to Coroner’s officials a postmortem examination has been scheduled.

Deputies from the Shasta County Sheriff Office’s Boating Safety Unit were sent to the area where Beckwith’s body was found shortly after 5 p.m., after the fisherman called 911 and reported the grisly find.

The fisherman told SHASCOM emergency dispatchers he had spotted what appeared to be an adult male floating in the lake. The victim was wearing a life vest and a “partially submerged small vessel” was later found nearby.

When officials arrived they confirmed the victim was deceased and began investigating the death and their investigation is ongoing.

 

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Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.