The 19 or 20 year old Fresno man was in a fishing boat with four friends outside of singer when they say someone stood up on the boat causing it to tip over.
The four men were able to swim to shore, but the victim was apparently unable to swim. His friend, Baldemar Rodriguez struggled to save him. "I went back to try to save him and he brought me by the shoulders. He was pulling me down to the water too. I was down for 7- 8 seconds, I couldn't breathe no more. So I just swimmed up. I turned back and I saw him sink down. That's the last thing I see of him. "
Rodriguez said if he and the others had known his friend couldn't swim, they wouldn't have taken him along.
The lake is about 40-feet deep and is adjacent to the Kings River. It's an old gravel pit known locally as Douglas Lake.
We are withholding the name of the young man until family members are notified.
