Update: Funds being raised for family of teen who drowned in Tuolumne River in Waterford
Update: A gofundme page has been set up for the family of drowning victim Kevin Lopez-Hernandez at www.gofundme.com/f/kevin-lopezhernandez. The summary there reads in part, “Kevin was a sweet and noble son, brother, friend and a diligent student athlete . In general he was headed towards a happy life filled with love ... . We want to give Kevin the memorial he deserves, to honor his memory and say our last goodbyes.”
Original story: A 13-year-old boy from Hayward drowned in the Tuolumne River in Waterford on Sunday afternoon while swimming with family members, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department.
The report of a missing swimmer was made about 1:20 p.m., said Capt. Clint Bray of the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District. The incident occurred at River Park, a couple of hundred yard upstream of the F Street/Hickman Road bridge over the river. The youth was not wearing a life vest.
The Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office released the name of the boy, Kevin Lopez-Hernandez, on Monday.
Deputies, firefighters and a helicopter were sent to the area to assist with the search and rescue, the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release. “Their efforts were complicated by the fact that water levels near the shoreline were too low for firefighters to launch their boats and begin scouring the immediate area.”
Bray said the teen was found beneath the river’s surface, near the bridge. A rescue swimmer dove in and pulled Kevin from the water. He was unresponsive, and lifesaving efforts began immediately, the captain said. Kevin was pronounced dead before the arrival of an emergency helicopter that had been called.
Bray noted that Stanislaus Consolidated offers free life-jacket loans at its stations, including Station 24 in Waterford, at 321 E St, a little more than a half-mile from River Park. But few were seen among the good number of families enjoying the water Sunday. A couple of small children were wearing the popular inflatable “water wings” on their arms, but those are not considered safety devices.
The Sheriff’s Department news release warned that the Tuolumne River can appear calmer than than it actually is, giving recreational users a false sense of security when swimming, boating or rafting.
The current “can swiftly move swimmers and watercraft from one point to the next, debris can make the conditions more challenging and water depth can change at a moment’s notice, creating dangerous conditions.”
This story was originally published June 14, 2020 at 3:59 PM.
