One person died Saturday after three people were reported struggling in the water at Sycamore Island on the banks of the San Joaquin River in Madera County.
Multiple agencies responded to the area just after 4:30 p.m. following reports of three individuals in distress in the water.
According to deputies, two people were able to make it out of the water safely.
A third person, a man, was pulled from the water and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The man was identified as 20-year-old Vincent Chang of Fresno.
The Madera County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident alongside the Fresno Police Department and the Fresno Fire Department.
This story was originally published June 20, 2026 at 8:13 PM.
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Anthony Galaviz writes about sports for The Fresno Bee. He covers the Las Vegas Raiders, high schools, boxing, MMA and junior colleges. He’s been with The Bee since 1997 and attended Fresno City College before graduating from Fresno State with a major in journalism and a minor in criminology.
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