Man found dead in canal near Turlock

Authorities on Sunday afternoon found a 55-year-old man dead in a canal just south of town, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department reported.

On Monday afternoon, sheriff’s Sgt. Anthony Bejaran said the man found dead is believed to be a transient, and detectives were trying to determine what he was doing in the area. Authorities had not released the man’s name, which is pending positive identification.

The man’s cause of death will be determined once an autopsy has been completed, Bejaran said.

About 4:30 p.m. Sunday, sheriff’s deputies and the Turlock Rural Fire Department responded to a report of a body found in a Turlock Irrigation District canal near Lander Avenue and West Harding Road, less than a mile south of Turlock.

Authorities arrived and recovered the man’s body from the canal.

The Turlock Rural Fire Department’s Facebook page reminded the public that Turlock Irrigation District canals are at peak flow and very cold. Fire officials also said the canals are private property and are not intended for swimming or playing nearby.

Investigators ask anyone with information about the man found in the canal to call sheriff’s Detective Wyatt at (209) 525-7091.

This story was originally published July 3, 2017 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Man found dead in canal near Turlock."