Fresno SAR 8/3 Yucca Point Recovery
Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 1:10 pm
Fresno Co. Sheriff's Dept:
The victim of the recent drowning (8/3) has been identified. He is, 47 year old Luca Chiarabini of San Diego
Around 9:00 am on August 3rd, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office received a report that an adult had gone missing on the King River.
This occurred near Yucca Point, which is northeast of Hume Lake. Deputies, and the Sheriff’s EAGLE One, CHP’s helicopter H40 and members of the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (SAR) team responded to the area.
They learned that a group of three people had parked at Yucca Point, hiked down a trailhead, crossed the river and camped overnight. After their overnight stay, they wanted to cross back over the river.
Chiarabini chose to go into the water first, while the other two men stayed on shore. Chiarabini wore a helmet, wetsuit, and fins as he tied a rope to himself and secured it to a rock. He was not wearing a life jacket. During his attempt to swim across the river, the currents overwhelmed Chiarabini and caused him to drift into the rapids. The current eventually took him downstream and out of his friend’s sight.
One of the hikers activated his emergency beacon equipped with inReach satellite technology, which notified the Sheriff’s Office to respond.
Around 9:50 am, FSO deputies operating Eagle One found Chiarabini submerged under water. SAR then coordinated personnel and equipment to carry out a rescue/recovery plan. SAR members used ropes to help themselves navigate through the extremely fast current with hazardous white water rapids. In the late afternoon, a deputy was able to secure Chiarabini’s body and bring it to shore.