Body of man who drowned recovered at Lopez Lake
March 23, 2026
By KAREN VELIE
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Dive Team on Monday recovered the body of a 25-year-old man who drowned at Lopez Lake on Sunday afternoon. The victim has been identified as Sergio MendiolaGarcia, 25, of Santa Maria.
On Monday afternoon, three friends were swimming at the lake when the water became choppy. Two of the friends were able to get out of the lake, while the current pulled MendiolaGarcia further from shore.
One of the friends tried to use a pair of pants to throw to MendiolaGarcia, with plans to pull him out of the water, said SLO County Fire Department Captain Eva Grady. However, MendiolaGarcia went under water and did not come back up.
Because of limited visibility, the search was suspended shortly after 8 p.m. on Sunday.
The SLO County Sheriff’s Dive Team resumed the search on Monday morning. Shortly before noon, divers located Sergio’s body.
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