PG&E deploys sonar as rescuers continue to search California reservoir for missing jet-skier

Elise Fisher
·1 min read
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A search for a man who went missing Monday in a Northern California reservoir continued for a second day as crews from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. deployed sonar in the hopes of finding him.

The operation began Monday afternoon when emergency officials were called to Rollins Lake, a reservoir used to store water in Placer County for the Nevada Irrigation District and generate power for PG&E The waterway, surrounded by campgrounds, is 3 miles north of Colfax.

Three jet skiers fell into the lake, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post, and first responders were dispatched when calls came in around 11:40 a.m. The other two jet-skiers, both women, resurfaced after falling from their watercraft.

Just after 4 p.m., officials said that the man remained unaccounted for as crews continued their search.

None of the three jet-skiers were wearing life jackets when they fell off while making a turn, according to Elise Soviar, a Placer County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman. Soviar said the two women who fell off the jet ski did not know how to swim.

Nevada and Placer sheriff’s crews remained on the water Tuesday as they looked for the man, who is presumed drowned.

“We love that we have so many awesome places to recreate in Placer County, but we just really encourage everybody to be safe when they do so,” Soviar said.

The Bee’s Chris Biderman contributed to this story.