Contra Costa deputy drowns at Lake Tahoe

A Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office deputy died during a drowning rescue attempt Thursday afternoon at El Dorado Beach.

A Northern California deputy died Thursday while trying to save a person from drowning in Lake Tahoe, authorities said.

Police say Deputy Francies and his girlfriend, his sister and another male friend were using paddles and kayaks near the beach.

Francies’ sister had fallen once again into the lake while the rescue attempts were being concentrated on Francie. Another in the group helped her back into her kayak. He and the male friend both jumped into the water to help her, and the friend reached her first and assisted her back onto her kayak, police said. But after swimming for 20 feet, he was struggling to stay on the surface, and asked his girlfriend for a life jacket. She attempted to do so, but was forced to throw against the strong wind and it fell short of Francies. He sank and went unconscious.

Francies’ girlfriend and a Good Samaritan pulled Francies onto a paddle board and brought him back to shore.

Bystanders helped get Francies onto a paddle board, where his girlfriend, a registered nurse, began CPR. Medics took over CPR efforts.

Francies jumped into the water to help his friend, South Lake Tahoe police report, but began “to falter and fall into distress himself”.

Sheriff’s spokesman Jimmy Lee said Friday morning the department is in discussion with Francies’ family to arrange “some type of service”. Francies was a former Sacramento State University football player.

“Law Enforcement, sometimes we get bad press”, Welch said, “but 99 percent of all law enforcement will do anything for anybody at any time”. As a senior, he ranked seventh on the Lumberjacks with 37 tackles and second with six pass breakups, leading the team to a 9-1 record. “He was well liked, well respected, hard-working and we are in close contact with the family to get through this”.