Shasta Lake drowning victim’s body found amidst “hidden dangers”, as water levels hit record lows
UPDATED: Tuesday, July 13, 11:38 p.m.
See Original Story below.
REDDING, Calif., — The Shasta County Coroner’s Office this afternoon identified a man whose lifeless body was pulled from Shasta Lake after the victim was seen going under the water and not resurfacing Sunday evening, July 11.
Officials have since cited the current recreation and swimming dangers created by record-low water levels at the lake, including in the Dave Cove area on the Pit River arm of the lake, where this weekend’s tragedy occurred.
Shasta County Chief Deputy Coroner Lieutenant Stonehouse today identified the victim as 65-year-old, Mark Steven Boyd, of Shingletown.
“The decedent’s next-of-kin has been notified and a postmortem examination will be scheduled,” Stonehouse said; adding, “At this time, cause and manner of death are still under investigation and the case remains under investigation by the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.”
Original Story:
REDDING, Calif. — Authorities who responded to reports of a possible drowning involving a 65-year-old man who disappeared under the water on Shasta Lake were eventually able to locate and recover the victim’s body Sunday, July 11.
Officials cited the current lake and swimming dangers created record-low water levels at the lake, including in the Dave Cove area on the Pit River arm of the lake, which is where Sunday’s tragedy occurred.
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Shasta County Boating Safety units were alerted to the crisis just before 5 p.m. after receiving the report of a possible drowning involving an elderly man, Shasta County Sheriff’s Sergeant Renfer has since reported.
“It was reported that an adult male was swimming from an anchored patio boat,” Renfro described; adding that witnesses said the victim had entered the water, which is approximately forty-five feet deep in the area, and had not been seen again.
Record-low water levels have created many hidden dangers on Shasta Lake that include partially submerged trees and branches and other debris that swimmers can become entangled in. KRCR photo/July 30, 2020.
“He briefly resurfaced and then disappeared under the surface again,” said Renfro; adding that SCSO received the first report of the incident about ten minutes after the victim was last seen.
Boating Safety units, along with Shasta County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team members as well as volunteer divers, responded to the cove and contacted the reporting party and several witnesses, who provided officials with a “Point Last Seen” for the victim.
Dive Team members began searching the area, but their efforts were hampered by the lake’s dark, murky, water and the large number of trees below the surface, with divers estimating the visibility at approximately ½ a foot.
Nearly three hours into the search, at just before 8 p.m., divers located the missing man’s body and the victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The victim’s name has not yet been released.
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“Currently with the low water levels, this area of the lake contains many submerged trees and logs that are partially protruding out of the water or just below the surface,” Renfer later cautioned. “These trees and logs create an extreme hazard for boaters and swimmers due to them being just below the surface and not visible from above the water.”
Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to contact the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office at (530) 245-6540. Callers can refer to incident file number 21S022826 and can remain anonymous.
This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
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. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s 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.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.
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