Miguel Diaz Mendoza Death: Millerton Lake drowning victim identified as 19-year-old from Fresno

Miguel Diaz Mendoza Death: Millerton Lake drowning victim identified as 19-year-old from Fresno.

A man who died following a drowning incident in Millerton Lake on Monday, July 31, is now identified as 19-year-old Miguel Diaz Mendoza from Fresno.

At approximately 1:40 p.m. on Monday, a drowning incident was reported at the La Playa Day Use Area. At approximately 1:45 p.m., a team of rangers and a vigilant lifeguard successfully rescued 19-year-old Miguel Diaz Mendoza from the depths of 8 to 10 feet of water. The incident occurred roughly 30 feet away from the safety of the shore, as confirmed by Millerton Lake Supervising Ranger Steve Barber.

According to Barber, Mendoza was reported to be unresponsive, lacking a pulse, and not equipped with a lifejacket. CalFire EMTs administered CPR to the individual before transferring him to St. Agnes Medical Center, where he was subsequently declared deceased.

The cause of the drowning is under investigation.

Millerton Lake

Millerton Lake is an artificial lake near the town of Friant about 15 mi north of downtown Fresno. The reservoir was created by the construction of 319 ft high Friant Dam on the San Joaquin River which, with the lake, serves as much of the county line between Fresno County to the south and Madera County to the north.