IDENTIFIED: Madera man who drowned at Skaggs Bridge Park | YourCentralValley.com

KERMAN, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The Madera man who drowned in the San Joaquin River Friday has been identified, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said.

Around 12:30 p.m., deputies and emergency medical services personnel responded to Skaggs Bridge Park to receive a report of an unconscious man who had been pulled from the river.

Friends of Ricardo Perez Diaz, 24, say he was wading through knee-deep water and fell into deeper water from a river flat.

Police learned the man did not know how to swim and was not wearing a life jacket when he entered the water.

It was reported that it took him two to three minutes to resurface.

The sheriff's office says Perez Diaz's friends performed CPR on him until first responders arrived to take over chest compressions.

According to investigators, Perez Díaz was pronounced dead shortly after 1 p.m.

The Sheriff's Office asks those who recreate in and around pools and waterways to take these steps:

1) Wear a life jacket. Make sure the kids have one that fits them properly.

2) Stay out of the water if you are not an experienced swimmer.

3) Parents must supervise their children at all times.

4) Do not mix alcohol and swimming. Alcohol tires swimmers more quickly than normal and can create dangerous situations.

5) Understand that when it's hot outside, you will get tired more quickly than usual.

6) Respect the water. The water temperature remains cold and the current is often stronger than it appears. There may be debris in the water that is difficult to see and can cause dangerous situations for swimmers.

7) Be careful of the mud at the bottom of lakes and rivers, it is easy to sink in some places and get your feet stuck. Also use your feet to detect drop-off points. The bottom of rivers and lakes can change dramatically from shallow to deep over a short distance.