Two die in Lake Tahoe this weekend

Two people lost their lives in Lake Tahoe this weekend and a woman suffered a foot injury after getting it caught in a boat propeller.

On Friday afternoon, 69-year-old Xavier Olivas of Yucca Valley, Calif. jumped off a boat to swim to shore at Chimney Beach on the east shore. He never made it and could not be found until the Washoe County Sheriff HASTY team divers found his body submerged offshore after a five-hour search. The Washoe County Medical Examiner's office has not determined a cause of death at this time.

On Saturday at 12:14 p.m., deputies from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO) responded to Baldwin Beach for a possible drowning. The investigation shows the victim was metal detecting under about ten feet of water using a weight belt. EDSO said it appears they experienced some sort of distress and was pulled out by witnesses. CPR was started but the victim was pronounced deceased at Barton Hospital. Their name, age, and hometown have not been released.

Shortly before that, the EDSO Marine 3 boat responded to a call of a "prop strike" in Emerald Bay. A boater started drifting into Fannette Island and started their boat to move, not realizing a woman was swimming near the boat. Marine 3 transported her to the shore where medics were waiting to transport the victim to the hospital. She had a moderate injury to her foot.

Lake Tahoe is beautiful but can be dangerous. Cold Water Shock is something to be aware of and stresses the importance of not diving into cold water. A life jacket will keep your head above water should you get into distress. Boater safety is also important and more information can be found here - https://www.boatus.org/boating-safety/.

As of January 1, 2020, California law requires all boaters 35 years of age or younger to carry a California Boater Card. All boaters regardless of age are required to obtain a California Boater Card by 2025.