A teen in California has passed away after going for a swim in a lake while hiking with a group.
On Aug. 12, a 19-year-old teen, his father, and a larger group all went on a hike near Thousand Island Lake. At around 12 p.m., the teen went off on his own and went for a swim on one of the islands on the lake. The hiking group saw the teen on the shore from afar. By 8 p.m., the group reported the teen missing to the Madera County Sheriff’s office, releasing a statement about the teen’s disappearance.
“Due to the urgent nature of the incident, a request was placed with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for a military helicopter to respond,” the sheriff’s office said, NBC News reports. The Naval Air Station Lemore took on the mission and searched for the teen.
Unfortunately, responders discovered the young man had passed away. The teen boy was transported along with his father to the Fresno Yosemite International Airport.
No confirmed cause of death details have come out about the teen’s death, but the sheriff’s office released a statement about swimming in the area’s lakes.
“Our high-country alpine lakes are still extremely cold even if the valley floor sees 100-degree days,” read the release NBC News reports. “At Thousand Island Lake, the overnight lows are in the low 40s at night, and the lake itself is fed by glaciers from Mount Ritter and Mount Banner, the peaks of which peaks are -/+ 12,000 feet in elevation. Even in the warmer months, the water is extremely cold.”
