A 3-year-old boy passed away after he stumbled into a reservoir on the Fourth of July, officials reported yesterday. His uncle, who jumped in to try and save him, also passed away.
Authorities reported that Fernando Molina Azpeitia, 26, and his nephew, Gabriel Ramos, 3, both residents of Perris in Riverside County, were on a trip to visit their relatives who live in Fallbrook and went to fish at a nearby lake off Tenaja Truck Trail.
The two did not come home so the family went to the lake to search for them. They arrived to discover Gabriel’s body floating in the water. Emergency crews arrived at the scene around 7:20 p.m. after the family failed to locate Molina.
The family transported the boy to the Cal Fire station in De Luz, where firefighters attempted to revive him. Gabriel was then transported to to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, where he was declared dead at 8:40 p.m.
First reports state that Gabriel fell into the water, and Molina dove in to save him. Officials reported that the edges of the lake were easy to slip on and very hard to grasp.
Divers from county fire-lifeguard agencies located Molina’s body sitting at the bottom of the reservoir. He was declared dead at 11:15 p.m.