Fresno man who disappeared during fishing trip found dead at Merced County reservoir
A Fresno man who disappeared more than a week ago on a fishing trip at a Merced County reservoir has been found dead, according to authorities.
About 7:30 a.m. Sunday, deputies responded to a report of a man lying near the edge of the water on the northwest bank of the San Luis Reservoir near the Romero Visitor Center, according to Merced County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Domingue.
The sheriff’s Search, Rescue and Recovery team responded and recovered the body of 57-year-old Chang Cheng. Authorities said Cheng’s body was in more of a remote rocky area along the water’s edge near the dam.
The cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy, with the investigation ongoing, Domingue said.
According to Domingue, Cheng’s body was on the opposite side of the reservoir from where he was last seen. Domingue said authorities had conducted a large and thorough search for Cheng and the Sheriff’s Office was thankful for the assistance it received from other agencies.
“This is not the outcome we were looking for – we were hopeful we would locate him and bring some peace to the family,” Domingue said. Authorities said it is unknown how long Cheng had been in the water and how he ended up at the location where he was found.
Cheng had gone missing about 7 p.m. on Sept. 21 at the end of a family fishing trip. At one time during the search, roughly 70 personnel were looking for Cheng, with multiple outside agencies assisting in the effort. Multiple resources were used, including horse and K-9 teams and four aircraft, according to authorities.
Domingue said that Cheng’s family was helpful and forthcoming with information while remaining in communication with detectives throughout the search.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 209-385-7445 or its tip line at 209-385-7472.
