A 32-year-old Texas man died after becoming unresponsive in Lake Tahoe near Sand Harbor, a popular beach and boating destination on the lake’s Nevada shoreline, authorities said.
The Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as Yadessa Aga, a software engineer employed by Amazon in Austin, according to LinkedIn. A spokesperson for the office said in an email that the case remained under investigation and had not determined or released his cause of death.
Washoe County sheriff’s deputies were called to the North Sand Harbor boat ramp around 8 p.m. Monday after receiving a report of a possible water rescue, the agency said.
When deputies arrived, bystanders were bringing an unresponsive man to shore. Deputies began lifesaving measures, which medical personnel continued after reaching the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.
Aga was pronounced dead at the park.
The sheriff’s office said it was investigating the death as an accidental drowning.
The agency told SFGATE that Aga had swum toward a group of boulders offshore around dusk before going underwater and becoming unresponsive. The department’s written statement did not provide further details about what happened in the water. SFGATE and the San Francisco Chronicle are both owned by Hearst but operate independent newsrooms.
Sand Harbor is on Lake Tahoe’s east shore, near Incline Village and roughly 30 miles southwest of Reno. The Nevada state park is known for its sandy beaches, clear water and large granite formations. It is heavily used for swimming, kayaking, boating and scuba diving.
Lake Tahoe’s water can remain cold even during the summer, and temperatures near the surface can change when colder water rises from deeper parts of the lake.
Take Care Tahoe, a regional public education campaign, warns that sudden immersion can cause involuntary gasping, rapid breathing and loss of muscle control. The organization estimates that cold water shock contributes to an average of seven drownings at Lake Tahoe each year.
The Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office said examination reports typically take 10 to 12 weeks to complete.