The search team waiting for a ride to the remote swimming hole. Photo: Placer County Sheriffs Department
A group of six hikers went to a remote waterhole in Placer County, California. Only three returned.
On Wednesday, June 18, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office received reports of a possible triple drowning at Rattlesnake Falls near the town of Soda Springs – 26 miles northwest of Lake Tahoe. Three days later, a diver recovered the bodies of Valentino Creus, 50, of Los Angeles, Matthew Schoenecker, 50, of Los Angeles, and Matthew Anthony, 44, of New York City.
Juan Heredia, the diver who recovered the bodies, said he hiked three hours to reach the swimming hole, which reaches a depth of 47 feet. In videos of the recovery effort that Heredia posted to his Facebook account, he said he did four dives of around three minutes each and was able to retrieve the bodies.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office sent a team to “guard” the bodies overnight and posted an update on Sunday.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the bodies of the three men have been recovered,” reads a statement. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss.”
The circumstances surrounding the deaths were not revealed, but questions abound as to how three men could all simultaneously drown at a swimming hole.
Men’s Journal pointed to “cold shock” as a possible culprit.
“It is strongly advised that you avoid entering Placer County rivers during the spring flow,” reads Placer County’s website. “An immediate danger of jumping into waterways is cold shock. Cold shock occurs when the body is exposed to cold water, resulting in a rapid loss of breathing control, increased heart rate, and a gasp reflex. This can lead to involuntary gasping and hyperventilation, which can cause drowning.”
A woman in the Sheriff’s Facebook post who claimed to be the sister of a man who knew the victims said that one victim didn’t resurface after jumping in, and the two others who subsequently jumped in to rescue him didn’t resurface either.
When reached for comment, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said that the cause of death is still under investigation. “It was reported that the men entered the water by the waterfall and did not resurface,” they said in an email.
