Search called off for apparent Lake Perris drowning victim

A 51-year-old man who vanished shortly after jumping into Lake Perris remains missing, and the search has been called off.

The Riverside County sheriff’s dive team and State Park lifeguards using sonar and scuba divers searched for the man in water 50 to 85 feet deep for six days starting on June 15 but could not find him, State Park Superintendent John Rowe said on Monday, July 1.

The man, whose name has not been disclosed, jumped from a ski boat around 4:15 p.m. on June 15 near the dam at the Lake Perris State Recreation Area. He was not wearing a lifejacket, Rowe said. Four people saw him go under after he asked for help.

Rescuers had difficulty pinpointing exactly where he jumped because the boat drifted from the area and no one on board had a working cell phone that could have helped authorities find him using GPS, Rowe said.