Swimmer calls out for help, then he’s found dead in 11 feet of water, CA cops say

A swimmer was found dead after he didn’t resurface while towing an inflatable kayak, California officials said.

On July 26, the 29-year-old man, later identified as Luis Cornejo-Paz of Concord, had been swimming about 40 feet from shore at Lake Shasta and was helping tow two people on an inflatable kayak, according to a Facebook post by Shasta County deputies.

Bystanders saw him struggling before he called out for help, and then he eventually went under, deputies said.

Witnesses started to look for Cornejo-Paz but couldn’t find him because the water was so murky, officials said.

The two people onboard the kayak were not injured and made it back to shore, officials said.

More than two hours later, Cornejo-Paz’s body was found by dive teams in 11 feet of water, deputies said.

Shasta County is about a 200-mile drive northwest from Sacramento.

This story was originally published July 29, 2025 at 6:02 PM with the headline "Swimmer calls out for help, then he’s found dead in 11 feet of water, CA cops say."