A 23-year-old man who fell in the American River in Northern California while taking pictures with his fiancé was found dead after an extensive search, officials announced Monday.
The man, identified as Andy Odon Ortega Fonseca, was taking photos about 7 p.m. Sunday when he fell in the river near No Hands Bridge in Auburn, about 30 miles northwest of Sacramento.
He was unable to get out, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
A swift water rescue team, Cal Fire and State Parks officials responded to the scene and began searching for the victim. The search was suspended about 9 p.m.
The search resumed Monday, and Fonseca, of Sacramento, was found dead in the early afternoon.
The Sheriff’s Office issued a warning to visitors of the American River. They asked visitors to avoid the river until after June when the water flows have “calmed down.”
“We can’t stress how dangerous river water is, especially during this time of year when the temperature ranges from 38-45 degrees Fahrenheit and the flows are swift and choppy,” officials said in an updated Facebook post. “It is easy to get swept under the current, even when the water APPEARS to be calm. It is merely a deception.”
