Another fatality took place on local water ways, this one occurring Friday evening July 6 at Scotts Flat Reservoir, claiming the life of 29-year-old Juan Carlos Rangel-Avila of Reno. The cause of the incident is pending investigation. “(The victim was) recreating with friends near the dam and was on an inflatable floaty kind of device,” reported Nevada County Consolidated’s Chief of Operations Patrick Sullivan.
“They looked away and when they looked back he was gone. It was alluded that there may have been a medical emergency involved but no one knows. The floaties were still there.
” According to official reports, someone was seen going under and did not resurface. Nevada County Consolidated responded to the incident just after 4:30 p.m.
“Our units, Batallion 78 Rescue 84, which is our water rescue, and specialized personnel trained in water rescues (collaborated) with Office of Emergency Services 4609 to Scotts Flat for a potential subject for a subsurface rescue. Upon arrival they checked with witnesses and the vicinity he was last seen. The fire marshall was equipped with a drone; they responded also and launched the drone as well as our rescue swimmers in the water and started to put together a strategic search.
” After approximately one hour in the water, the dive team—aided by Search & Rescue, the Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Irrigation District, and Nevada County Consolidated—were able to locate the body of Rangel-Avila. CPR was unsuccessfully performed..
