Man drowns near Bonsai Rock at Lake Tahoe

A 39-year-old San Jose man was identified by the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office as the person who died near Bonsai Rock on Saturday.

Francisco Villa Madrigal was reportedly snorkeling off the east shore of Lake Tahoe south of Sand Harbor.

Madrigal was found unresponsive after rescuers responded around 1:20 p.m. Saturday, according to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Marine 7 and Tahoe Douglas Marine 24 were called around 1:30 p.m. to search for a missing snorkeler midway between Thunderbird Lodge and Sand Harbor but were cancelled within 20 minutes of the initial call.

Members of the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office patrol, Search and Rescue, Hasty Team, and Specialized Vehicle Unit, along with the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Nevada State Park Rangers, and the U.S. Coast Guard, responded to the scene and found the man in the water.

He was transported to Sand Harbor, where he was pronounced deceased. This incident is currently being investigated as an accidental drowning by the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. The victim's name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

This was the second drowning off the east shore of Lake Tahoe in less than a month. A 20-year-old Kentucky man succumbed while swimming near Whale Beach in the Carson City portion of the Lake.

No update has been released on the condition of a man who was pulled from Lake Tahoe near the Sand Harbor dock on July 22. The Record-Courier reached out to the Washoe County Sheriff's Office on Sunday.