Body of 25-year-old man recovered after drowning at SLO County lake
Divers discovered the body of a 25-year-old man who reportedly drowned in Lopez Lake on Sunday, after an extensive two-day search for his remains.
The man was identified as Sergio MendiolaGarcia, 25, of Santa Maria, according to a Monday news release from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office said they initially received a 911 call reporting “a possible drowning” in the lake Sunday evening, the agency said in a post on X.
Reporting parties at the scene said MendiolaGarcia was swimming “when he became distressed and appeared to be drowning before going underwater,” the release said. He was reportedly not wearing a life preserver.
After he went underwater, family members tried to find him but were unsuccessful, the Sheriff’s Office said.
According to a San Luis Obispo County Fire Department post on X, crews were notified at approximately 4:20 p.m. of a “witnessed submersion.”
The agency launched a “full water rescue response,” looping in the Urban Search and Rescue team, San Luis Ambulance, CALSTAR, Pismo Lifeguards, San Luis Obispo County Parks and the Sheriff’s Dive Team to complete search operations.
That search dragged on through the late afternoon into the evening and included a “full water rescue response” with boats, jet skis, drones, paddle boards and rescue swimmers assisting in the search effort, the San Luis Obispo County Fire Department said during the initial response.
The search was suspended just after 8:00 p.m. due to limited visibility, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Sheriff’s Office took over the search from the Fire Department late Sunday. According to Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Grace Norris, the agency’s dive and drone teams were both out at the lake again early Monday morning.
At 11:52 a.m. Monday, MendiolaGarcia’s body was located underwater by divers from the agency’s dive team, the release said.
Around 12:40 p.m., a Tribune reporter at the scene witnessed a boat return to the Lopez Lake marina area and a stretcher with what appeared to be a body with a cloth draped over it be taken from the boat and transported into a white SLO County Sheriff’s Office vehicle.
“Next of kin has been notified,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “This is a tragic loss, and our thoughts are with Sergio’s family and friends.”
3 people have died in Lopez Lake over the past decade
This is at least the third drowning at Lopez Lake in the past 10 years.
In 2017, 47-year-old Darryl Tyler Redd died after the catamaran he was on capsized.
His family later filed a lawsuit against the boat captain for allegedly not ensuring passengers were wearing floatation devices.
Then in 2020, 39-year-old David Sanchez drowned while attempting to help his brother-in-law who had fallen overboard. Sanchez’s family later recounted the events of that day and his heroic efforts to save his distressed family member.
This story was originally published March 23, 2026 at 11:35 AM.
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