Missing teen swimmer found dead at Lake Yosemite

MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- New details have been released about a teen who drowned at Lake Yosemite while celebrating the 4th of July.

Rescue teams with the Merced County Sheriff's Office rushed to the lake around 5 pm on Tuesday to find a 16-year-old boy who jumped off a pier into the water.

By the time they arrived, it was no longer a water rescue but a recovery effort.

Witnesses tell Action News they saw the teen jump off the pier and he never came back to the surface.

"It definitely is a heartbreaker, it's a heartbreaker because this is a moment in America where we just want to BBQ have fun, experience joyous times. That's not what's happening right now, it's a moment of heartbreak," said Rave Phillips, a witness.

"The family immediately panicked and they called the ambulance and everyone started coming out."

"The dive team responded, we responded immediately, did our grid searches, we deployed ROV, and ended up finding the decedent," said Merced County Sheriff's Sgt. Lary Hudec.

By Wednesday afternoon, caution tape was all that was left of the search effort at the pier.

First responders say the lake has already claimed a number of other lives.

"We do have an issue with individuals, jumping off the pier, which claims lives, lives year after year, unfortunately," said Hudec.

"For something like that to happen, it's really devastating even for the family, I can't even imagine how they feel," added Mallerly Santos, a UC Merced student.

In an effort to prevent more tragedies, law enforcement wants to remind everyone to obey the safety guidelines.

"Follow the rules. Be safe about it, know, your limitations, meet a buddy. If you don't know how to swim, don't get in the water. It's as simple as that," explained Alexandra Britton, a public information officer with the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office says the investigation is still ongoing.

They also want people to know if you jump off the pier in this area right now and land feet first, the water and mud are very murky so it's easy to get stuck.

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