3 weeks ago
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FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A pistillate who had been missing for much than a week was recovered dormant Monday greeting successful a canal adjacent Sanger, prompting renewed warnings from section authorities astir the dangers of Central Valley waterways — peculiarly arsenic temperatures rise.
According to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, a idiosyncratic reported seeing what appeared to beryllium a assemblage successful a canal adjacent South Newmark and East American Avenues conscionable aft 8 a.m.
Deputies with the department’s Dive Team responded to the country and recovered the assemblage of 53-year-old Linda Gaona of Sanger.
Gaona had past been seen connected May 25, and her household had been circulating missing persons flyers online successful hopes of locating her. Officials accidental she was known to predominant the country wherever she was found.
“There’s nary signs of foul play,” said Fresno County Sheriff’s Office PIO Tony Botti. “We don’t person an nonstop relationship of wherefore she was successful the h2o — whether she conscionable fell in, was trying to swim, oregon cleanable off.”
While the circumstances surrounding Gaona’s decease stay unclear, officials are utilizing the calamity to item the persistent and often underestimated risks of canals, peculiarly during the summertime months.
“If it’s conscionable the vigor that they’re looking to escape, oregon a mode to cleanable disconnected — immoderate the crushed — we ever promote radical not to get into the canals,” said Fresno Fire Department PIO, Josh Sellers.
Canals crossed Fresno County airs respective hidden threats. Despite appearing calm, the h2o often moves swiftly beneath the aboveground and is littered with unseen dangers.
“What radical request to recognize is erstwhile you’re walking on these canal banks, don’t get excessively close,” Botti warned. “You tin deed immoderate escaped dirt, suffer your footing, and erstwhile you autumn successful — the slope of it, the factual — makes it astir intolerable to get backmost out.”
“It whitethorn look calm and inviting implicit the surface,” added Sellers. “But underneath the h2o is usually moving astatine a beauteous bully pace. There’s trash, debris, crisp objects — it tin origin superior wounded oregon get you caught up.”
In 2022, 11 radical drowned successful Fresno County canals — a fig officials accidental was alarmingly high. Though astir years mean 2 to 3 canal-related deaths, the risks stay accordant crossed each waterways, including rivers, lakes, and ponding basins.
As summertime vigor sets in, section agencies are urging the nationalist — and particularly those successful susceptible communities — to debar canals astatine each costs.
