California man’s body found nearly a month after American River drowning, Placer sheriff says

Authorities have recovered and identified a Bay Area man who drowned last month after falling into the American River in Placer County.

The body of the swimmer, who had been missing since May 14, was spotted at Lake Clementine on Saturday and recovered by a sheriff’s dive and rescue team, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post.

The victim was identified Thursday by the Sheriff’s Office as 20-year-old Eric Aguayo, of American Canyon in Napa County.

Authorities determined Aguayo was swimming near Yankee Jims Bridge in the Foresthill area on the afternoon of May 14 when he was swept away in the North Fork of the American River, sheriff’s officials said.

Swept about 15 miles down the river, Aguayo ended up in Upper Lake Clementine, a reservoir northeast of Auburn, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s officials and weather authorities continue to warn Californians that rivers and other waterways are running cold and extremely fast for this time of year due to record-level snowpack from winter.

“If you must be on the river, please contact a local professional river rafting company,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote in Thursday’s post identifying the victim.

Aguayo’s death is the second drowning reported on the American River in Placer County since late April.

A 22-year-old Antelope man disappeared near the confluence of the American River’s north and middle forks on April 29. His body was found in Folsom Lake nearly three weeks later, Placer sheriff’s officials said.

An 81-year-old man died Tuesday on the South Fork of the American River, in El Dorado County, following an apparent rafting incident, authorities said.