A young man whose kayak capsized in Lake Skinner over the weekend was believed to have drowned, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said in announcing the discovery of his body.
Benjamin Pedro Lucas went overboard about 3:15 p.m. Sunday, when Sheriff’s Department deputies were called to the Winchester lake for his possible drowning, according to a sheriff’s news release issued Monday afternoon.
Witnesses told deputies that Lucas was about 100 yards away from the marina when his kayak overturned for unknown reasons.
Lucas could not swim and was not wearing a life jacket, according to the news release. As he struggled in the water and went under, a marina employee went toward him.
The water was murky and deep, and the employee couldn’t find Lucas.
Rangers, deputies, and a sheriff’s dive team and helicopter searched for Lucas but also did not find him.
“Due to the length of time the search had been going on and darkness, it became apparent that Lucas had likely drowned,” the sheriff’s release stated.
On Monday morning, divers resumed the search, using sonar. Lucas’ body was found on the lake bottom about 20 to 25 feet down around 12:30 p.m.
Lucas’ next of kin was present when his body was recovered, the release stated.
The lake outing was part of a group event with members of Lucas’ Fallbrook church, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported. Other church members rented boats, but Lucas wanted to try a solo kayak, church members told the newspaper, which described the victim as a Guatemalan immigrant who lived in Fallbrook.
The sheriff’s release said Lucas was 19 and from Guatemala; the coroner’s office said he was 20 and from Fallbrook.
Man-made Lake Skinner is operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California as a water storage reservoir. A regional, county-run park at the lake provides recreational opportunities, including boating and fishing.
