El Dorado County man dies after going into raw water conduit

The body of a Pollock Pines man was located just after 8:00 a.m. Tuesday after going missing in an El Dorado Irrigation District (EID) untreated raw water conduit on Monday at about 4:00 p.m.

Tory Robert Mayes, a 34-year-old from Pollock Pines, went into the EID’s Camino Conduit pipe that carries raw water from Jenkinson Lake to EID’s water treatment plant 1.5 miles away.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Office contacted EID who then reduced flows as emergency responders searched the Mayes. The reduction in flows and subsequent request for conservation from customers was to manage health and safety flows to EID customers and maintain the integrity of the system.

After an extensive search of the EID conduit line by the Sheriff’s Office patrol and dive teams, EID, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department and El Dorado County Fire Department late into the night, the emergency medical personnel determined that because of the length of exposure, water temperature, and circumstances surrounding the incident, rescue operations transitioned into a recovery mission.

Mayes' body was located at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, and water flows were reduced so he could be recovered.

Next of kin has been notified. At this time it has not been disclosed as to why Mayes was in the area.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to this man’s family,” said EID General Manager Jim Abercrombie. “EID thanks its customers and community for its patience during the call for conservation. The district takes providing safe water to customers as a sacred trust and there was never an issue with the safety of the drinking water during this incident.”