An Orosi High junior was identified Monday as the teenage boy who drowned at Shaver Lake, according to the Fresno County Coroner’s Office.
The 16-year-old whose body was pulled from the lake in the Sierra Nevada on Sunday was Alejandro Araujo or Orosi, the coroner said in an update.
The teen was with a group of people about 12:40 p.m. Sunday when while wearing a life vest he jumped from a pontoon boat, Fresno County deputies said.
Investigators later determined he had placed the vest around his neck but never clipped the belt around his waist, the sheriff’s office said. The vest came off and he disappeared under the water.
Someone from his group jumped in after him but was not able to find him in the 65-degree water, deputies said.
His body was recovered about an hour after he jumped in, according to a news release from the coroner. He was about 15 feet under the water and did not know how to swim well.
Orosi High School said in a letter to parents that counselors would be on campus on Monday for students, adding the boy’s family was in their thoughts.
“We encourage you to take a moment to talk with your child about their feelings and memories of their classmate and friend,” the letter said. “Listening to them and providing a safe space for them to express their emotions can be helpful in their healing process.”
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