Fresno Leader

The boy who drowned in Shaver Lake on Sunday has been identified as Alejandro Araujo, 16, of Orosi. Alejandro was a student at Orosi High School who was just wrapping up his junior year.

Around 12:40 pm on June 9th, dispatchers received a call about a teenage boy who jumped off a pontoon boat into Shaver Lake and did not resurface. Sixteen-year-old Alejandro Araujo was wearing a U.S. Coast Guard Type Two life jacket. He had placed it around his neck but did not clip it around his body, so it slipped off when he entered the approximately 65° water. Someone in his group jumped into the lake to try and perform a rescue but could not find him.

Boating deputies, who were already on their regular weekend patrol assignment, quickly responded to the area near the island at Camp Chawankee. There was no immediate sign of the boy.

Members of the Sheriff’s Office Dive Unit DIVE team were called out and entered the water. At 1:50 pm, a dive team member recovered the young man’s body from approximately 15 feet below. It was later learned that Alejandro did not know how to swim well.

The Sheriff’s Office encourages everyone to be safe in and around pools and all natural waterways by taking these simple measures:

1) Wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket that is secured and fits properly.

2) Stay out of the water if you are not an experienced swimmer.

3) Parents should watch their children at all times.

4) Do not mix alcohol and swimming; alcohol causes swimmers to fatigue faster than normal and can create dangerous situations.

5) Understand that hot weather can cause fatigue faster than usual.

6) Respect the water; its temperature remains cold, currents are often stronger than they appear, and debris may cause hazardous situations for swimmers.

7) Be cautious of mud on lake and river bottoms; it is easy to sink in some spots or get feet stuck. Use feet to feel for drop-off spots as river and lake bottoms can change dramatically from shallow to deep over short distances.