Two men who drowned in God’s Bath swimming hole in Tuolumne County identified
The two men who drowned last week at a popular swimming hole in Tuolumne County have been identified as Bay Area residents.
Rinoel Villena, 25 of Daly City, and Benedict Rozario, 20 of Pittsburg, were part of a large group visiting God’s Bath in the Tuolumne River Canyon on Friday, the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.
The two men, and a third person, jumped into the water Friday afternoon.
“Due to the swift moving current and whirlpool, Mr. Villena and Mr. Rozario were overtaken and unable to surface,” Tuolumne sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Nicco Sandelin said in an email. “The third person was luckily able to get free from the current and surface downstream.”
Sandelin said God’s Bath is a popular recreational location but most people stay out of the water until late summer because the snow melt causes the strong current and whirlpool. He said the river is more than 20 feet deep in some locations.
The body of one of the men was recovered Friday afternoon and the second on Saturday morning.
Memorial Funds on Go Fund Me for both men have each generated more than $16,000 since they were created Sunday.
A Go Fund Me account for Villena, nicknamed Reno, says he was outgoing, got along with everyone and was quick to pick up conversations.
“Although he was taken from us too soon by doing what he loved the most, being in the water, he lived his life to the fullest and made the best out of every situation,” it says.
The GoFundMe account for Rozario said he always put others first, made sure his loved ones were happy and safe and was close to God and wanted to share his faith with others.
“He was an adventurous person, willing to try everything, unfortunately it lead him to his tragedy,” the account says.
This story was originally published May 18, 2021 at 12:06 PM.
