The Riverside County Sheriff's Department did not immediately identify a man who drowned in the Coachella Canal in North Shore while attempting to retrieve a cell phone.
According to Sgt. Oscar Gutierrez, the identity of the victim is being withheld until his family can be notified.
The man was fishing with friends in the canal in the area of Costa Mesa Drive and Avenue 68 when the accident happened before 5:24 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 24, Gutierrez said.
The Thermal Sheriff's Station got the report of an accidental drowning in the canal.
The preliminary investigation revealed that the victim and two friends were fishing along the canal when the victim accidentally dropped a cell phone into the water. The victim dove into the canal to retrieve the phone; however, he was unsuccessful and, in the process, became submerged underwater for an extended period.
His friends called 911 when he didn't resurface, but diminished daylight became an issue as deputies responded to the spot where the victim was last seen diving into the canal.
The following day, just before 8 a.m., the Riverside County Sheriff's Office's Dive Team and Search-and-Rescue Team responded and recovered the victim's body.
"As a reminder, fishing in the canal is dangerous and prohibited by law anywhere in the Coachella Valley," Gutierrez said in his report. "Anyone wishing to fish should look for an authorized fishing location."
Meanwhile, anyone who may have information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact Deputy Navarro of the Thermal Sheriff's Station at 760-863-8990. Anonymous information can be reported to Valley Crime Stoppers at 760-341-7867.