Man Drowns July 4th Afternoon In Russian River

A man drowned Saturday afternoon in the Russian River, according to Sonoma County sheriff’s deputies.

At 12:20 p.m., deputies responded to a report of a person who went missing in the water near Monte Rio Beach, sheriff’s officials said. Upon arrival, deputies learned that a man who was on a raft with two small children went missing, according to sheriff’s officials.

Deputies also received information that led deputies to believe the man did not know how to swim and was not wearing a life jacket, sheriff’s officials said. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office dive team arrived at the scene and conducted an underwater search for the man.

At 4:52 p.m., the dive team located the deceased man on the bottom of the river, a short distance downstream from the Monte Rio Beach, sheriff’s officials said. Sheriff’s officials have not disclosed the identity of the man pending the confirmation of his identity and the notification of his next of kin.

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