FRESNO, Calif. (KGTV) - A man who drowned while camping along the Kings River in Fresno County was identified Tuesday as Luca Chiarabini of San Diego, a highly-skilled member of the San Bernardino Cave and Technical Rescue Team, according to a fellow team member.
Chiarabini and two friends camped overnight and were leaving the Yucca Point area August 3 when the accident happened, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department.
The three men wanted to cross the Kings River, deputies said. Chiarabini went in the water first while wearing a helmet, wetsuit and fins.
He also had a rope tied around his body and secured to a rock, deputies said.
The current overwhelmed Chiarabini and caused him to drift into the rapids, according to deputies. His friends activated a satellite emergency beacon, which notified the Fresno County Sheriff's office to respond.
Deputies in a helicopter found Chiarabini submerged underwater within an hour and removed his body from the river later in the day.
The Fresno County Sheriff's Office is reminding the public that the water in the Kings River is moving at a faster pace than in years past.
