TRUCKEE, California (KOLO) – A man from Lancaster, California was found dead after drowning at Donner Lake.
Truckee Police say that at around 4:40 p.m. Sunday, an emergency response was initiated at the lake after reports of a man who was seen struggling to remain above water.
Attempts to rescue the man were unsuccessful, and authorities determined 36-year-old Juan Carlos Garcia-Guitierrez had drowned.
Police say Garcia-Guitierrez had been recreating in a pontoon boat before jumping into the water to swim. Once in the water, wind conditions caused the boat to drift away from him, and he was unable to reach it.
He was reportedly not wearing a personal flotation device at the time.
Garcia-Guiterrez was located at around 9:20 p.m. Sunday at a depth of 105 feet.
Copyright 2026 KOLO. All rights reserved.