Snorkeler looking for ring in river dies after he’s swept in current, Arizona cops say
A 53-year-old snorkeler died after he was caught in an Arizona river current while he was looking for a ring, deputies said.
Authorities responded at about 5:15 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, to the Gila River near Phoenix after reports of hearing a woman yelling for help, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The woman told deputies she had been snorkeling in the river with her boyfriend, Carlos Sanchez.
The two were looking for a ring in the water when a current took them under, deputies said. Sanchez never resurfaced from the water.
His girlfriend said he was a good swimmer, deputies said.
That evening, rescuers used a helicopter to scan the river bottom for Sanchez, but they couldn’t find him, deputies said.
Search efforts began the following morning and included a dive team and an underwater robot, deputies said.
Sanchez’s body was found after 3 p.m. Nov. 6 and given to the medical examiner’s office, deputies said.
Deputies said they do not suspect foul play.
The Gila River is nearly 650 miles long and runs through Arizona and New Mexico.
This story was originally published November 7, 2023 at 8:14 AM with the headline "Snorkeler looking for ring in river dies after he’s swept in current, Arizona cops say."
