REDDING, CA — Authorities have released the name of a man who died while trying to help two young swimmers stay afloat on a personal watercraft during the July 4th holiday weekend, making him the fourth person to lose his life at Lake Shasta in just over a month.
According to the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, deputies from the agency’s boating safety unit were called to Old Man Campground, a boat-access site near the Gooseneck and Beehive camping areas, shortly after 12:56 p.m. on July 4 following reports of a possible drowning.
Once on scene, deputies called in backup from the California Highway Patrol’s air unit, the U.S. Forest Service, and the sheriff’s dive team to help search the water.
Officials said witnesses reported that the victim had gone into the lake alongside several relatives to help their children who were struggling on a personal watercraft. While attempting to swim across a nearby cove, he suddenly went under and never came back up.
Search crews used sonar equipment to pinpoint his location before divers pulled him from the water. He was later identified as Antonio Fernandez, 47, of Oakland. His family has been informed, and an autopsy has been scheduled through the coroner’s office.
A Deadly Month at Lake Shasta
Fernandez’s death is the fourth reported at the lake since the start of June, a period when rising temperatures across far Northern California have pulled larger crowds to the water.
- June 18 — A boating accident near Town Creek Cove threw three people from a vessel after it struck the shoreline. One occupant, a 47-year-old man from Palo Cedro, later died at a hospital.
- June 22 — An 87-year-old swimmer from Ashland, Oregon, was pulled unresponsive from the water near a houseboat by bystanders. He was hospitalized and later died despite receiving emergency treatment.
- June 23 — Sheriff’s boating personnel recovered human remains from the lake believed to belong to a 22-year-old Lakehead resident who had been reported missing since early June after telling family he was heading out to kayak.
Officials Renew Water-Safety Warnings
Following the latest death, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office again urged visitors to wear personal flotation devices anytime they’re on the lake.
The U.S. Forest Service has also cautioned that lakes often hide dangers beneath the surface — including sudden drop-offs, submerged rocks, and downed trees — that make jumping or diving from bridges and cliffs particularly risky. The agency recommends swimming only in marked, designated areas, checking conditions before entering the water, and never swimming alone.
Officials additionally advise:
- Learning to swim and getting trained in CPR
- Wearing a Coast Guard-approved life jacket while boating, no matter one’s swimming skill
- Avoiding alcohol before or during water activities, since it slows reaction time and clouds judgment
- Never depending on pool toys — floaties, noodles, or inflatable tubes — as a substitute for a proper life jacket
- Closely watching children near water without distractions like phones
- Checking weather updates in advance, since sudden wind or storms can make conditions unsafe fast