By Rachel Brandes
Moapa Valley Progress
Submitted July 9, 2008
A man drowned at the Bowman Reservoir over the holiday weekend. Alfredo Jaen-Aguilar, a 23 year old male from North Las Vegas drowned on the afternoon of Saturday, July 5.
Jaen-Aguilar along with 15 or so friends traveled to Moapa Valley to enjoy the Reservoir despite the locked gates, barriers and signs indicating “No Recreation”. In March, the Bowman Reservoir was closed to all recreation by the Muddy Valley Irrigation Company which owns and operates the irrigation reservoir.
According to his friends Jaen-Aguilar did not know how to swim. After he entered the water, went under and failed to resurface, friends called 911. None of the group knew how to swim either, said Metro officers who responded.
The 911 call reporting a possible drowning came into Metro at 2:10 p.m. Metro officers along with volunteer EMT personnel responded and pulled the victim from the water at 2:28 p.m.
The victim’s body was found in approximately 5 feet of water about 25 feet from the shore. The group had been located on the west side of the Reservoir at the first cove. Jaen-Aguilar drowned approximately 50 yards from the sign that stated “No Recreation”. It has been reported that alcohol may have played a part in Jaen-Aguilar’s death.
