Stanislaus Coroner’s Office IDs men pulled from Turlock canal, Woodward Reservoir

A man pulled from a canal west of Turlock on Monday evening could not be revived, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department reported Tuesday morning.

The Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office released his name Tuesday morning, as well as that of the man who drowned at Woodward Reservoir north of Oakdale on Monday afternoon.

The man pulled from the canal was Turlock resident David Pombo, 66, said sheriff’s Detective Garrett Seymour. The Woodward victim was John Nelson, 51, of Modesto, the detective said. Sheriff’s Sgt. Anthony Bejaran said Nelson was a transient.

Emergency crews from Turlock Rural Fire Protection District were dispatched at 7:19 to a canal in the area near the 900 block of North Prairie Flower Road. A man had become pinned underwater at a canal control structure there.

“When the first deputy arrived, he found the victim ... trapped under a drop gate,” said Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Anthony Bejaran. “They tried to get the victim out from under the gate and were unable to do so. Turlock Irrigation District was called out to lift the gate, and the body of the victim was taken out of the canal and transported to the emergency room, where he was later pronounced deceased.”

Pombo was removed at 7:47 p.m. Medical responders performed CPR at the scene and took him to Emanuel Medical Center, but efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, said sheriff’s Sgt. Jesus Sigala.

Because an autopsy had not yet been done Tuesday morning, drowning has not been confirmed as cause of death, Seymour said.

The Woodward incident began with multiple 911 calls about 1:45 p.m. of a man drowning on the east side of the reservoir. A Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District firefighter found Nelson’s body about 100 feet from shore at about 2:35.

Bejaran also said positive identification of the drowning victim recovered from the Stanislaus River at Knights Ferry on June 14 is awaiting results of DNA testing.

This story was originally published June 20, 2017 at 7:34 AM with the headline "Stanislaus Coroner’s Office IDs men pulled from Turlock canal, Woodward Reservoir."