Tragedy struck at Lake Pleasant over the weekend with the recovery of a swimmer's body marking the thirteenth drowning in Maricopa County waterways this year. The man, identified as Byron Garcia-Perez, 25, was reportedly swimming near the Ten Lane Boat Ramp when he began to struggle and eventually went underwater.
Witnesses first observed Garcia-Perez in distress around 100 feet from the shore. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office responded to the emergency call on Sunday afternoon, deploying a search by boat that did not initially locate Garcia-Perez. As reported by KTAR, an underwater remote-operated vehicle was later used to find the man's body in approximately nine feet of water just before midnight.
As Arizonans seek respite in lakes during the hot weather, reminders about water safety have become more urgent. In a statement obtained by FOX10 Phoenix, Peoria Fire-Medical Capt. Aaron Greathouse stressed the importance of preparation, “They have to remember they're out in the sun, so make sure they have plenty of water, a charged cell phone, regardless of if they're on a boat or on the shore. PFDs are huge personal flotation devices, life jackets a lot of people call them.”
No information was provided on whether Garcia-Perez had been wearing a life jacket, but statistics shared by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office underscore the rarity of life jacket use among drowning victims, with only one of over 300 victims since 2000 reported to have been wearing one. Local boat owner, the John Jenkins told FOX10 Phoenix that having enough life jackets for everyone on board is essential, even in seemingly calm conditions, “People broke down, people stranded, today's extremely windy, people on paddleboards swept away by the wind and can't make it back.”
Foul play is not suspected in the recent drowning, and the incident remains under investigation by the county authorities. This year's drowning incidents, although fewer than in past years, continue to raise concerns about water safety and the imperative use of life jackets to prevent such untimely deaths.
