San Luis Obispo authorities say a 25-year-old Santa Maria man who went missing on Saturday, March 22, 2026, while swimming at Lopez Lake without a life preserver was found dead the next day after a coordinated search. (San Luis Obispo SO)
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A 25-year-old Santa Maria man who went missing while swimming at Lopez Lake was found dead after a multi-agency search, authorities said.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded around 4:20 p.m. on Saturday to a 911 call reporting a man drowning at the lake. Deputies assisted CalFire and other emergency responders in a coordinated search before the Sheriff’s Office assumed the investigation.
Witnesses told authorities that the man, later identified as Sergio Mendiola-Garcia, had been swimming when he became distressed and appeared to be drowning before going underwater. He was not wearing a life preserver, and family members who were with him were unable to locate him.
Search efforts were suspended shortly after 8 p.m. due to limited visibility and resumed the following morning. The Sheriff’s Office Underwater Search and Recovery Dive Team and Unmanned Aerial Systems Team continued the operation.
At approximately 11:52 a.m. on Sunday, divers located Mendiola-Garcia underwater, authorities said.
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