Near spot where 3 recently drowned, Tuolumne rescue team talks about river safety
The Sierra Nevada snowmelt is below average for a third straight year, but it’s still dangerous to visitors as it peaks by early summer.
The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office provided evidence with video shot a few years back at a swimming hole about 15 miles east of Sonora.
Search-and-rescue team members showed how they prepare to aid people who get caught in the cold, fast water. The video was reposted on the sheriff’s Facebook page May 19.
The spot is God’s Bath on the Clavey River, a tributary to the Tuolumne River. Three men from the Bay Area have drowned there over the past 13 months.
“Please take care of each other and spread the word about safety around swift water,” the post says. “... Although beautiful, extreme caution should be used when visiting any of our local waterways and swimming holes.”
The most recent drowning victim was Devin Brewer, 28, of San Jose. He was reported missing May 14, and his body was found by a hiker 13 days later.
In May of 2021, Rinoel Villena, 25, of Daly City and Benedict Rozario, 20, of Pittsburg drowned while visiting God’s Bath with a large group.
Brewer’s mother, Lakia Murvin of Dumfries, Virginia, told the Union Democrat newspaper in Sonora that officials should place a warning sign at God’s Bath.
“My son had his whole life ahead of him,” she said. “It’s beautiful there, but it’s dangerous. They need to do something.”
The Clavey can be especially unpredictable because it does not have a dam moderating the snowmelt. The sheriff’s post also warns of the risk at Rainbow Pool on the south fork of the Tuolumne and Cleo’s Bath on the south fork of the Stanislaus River.
Visitors should take care around any kind of water, including the reservoirs and slower rivers of Stanislaus County.
Need a life jacket for the day? The state has an online listing at dbw.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29179 of sites that lend them for free, including several fire stations in Stanislaus.
People on and near the water should watch for slippery rocks, submerged logs and other hazards. And anyone impaired by alcohol or drugs should keep to dry land.
