SHASTA-TRINITY NATIONAL FOREST, Cal. – The search is over for a 61 year old California man who went missing over the weekend while snorkeling in a mountain lake.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office says they found the body of Richard Martin on Sunday. The Sebastopol, California man was last spotted swimming in Cliff Lake on Saturday.
Cliff Lake is located in rugged terrain, approximately 16 miles southwest of Mt. Shasta. The Sheriff’s Office reports some spots in the lake are 200 feet deep. Boats couldn’t be brought to the site, so Search and Rescue borrowed kayaks from a local business.
Martin’s body was discovered 70 feet down in water averaging 38 degrees in temperature.
Sheriff Lopey says, “This is a good time to remind our citizens and visitors to the area that remote mountain lakes and virtually all bodies of water in Siskiyou County can be potentially hazardous this time of year due to cold-water temperatures and unpredictable depths and sometimes debris may be encountered below the surface of the water. It is always a good idea to swim in groups and it is advisable to consider wearing flotation devices when swimming. If diving or snorkeling, do so in pairs and have a flotation device readily available in close proximity should you experience any type of distress while in the water.”
At this time the Sheriff’s Office believes Martin drowned.
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