Two young men lost their lives last weekend after disappearing in Lake Chapala’s waters in separate incidents.
The first of the drowning victims waded into the lake near the Ajijic pier shortly before sunset Friday, October 11 to retrieve a soccer ball that was accidently kicked into the water. Companions who spotted him flailing frantically among waves and water hyacinths called for help from the local Civil Protection unit. A rescue team arrived at the scene as night fell, too late to proceed with a prolonged search. Although the effort resumed early the following morning, it was not until around 6 p.m. when the body was finally found and recovered about 100 meters offshore.
The other tragedy occurred on the opposite side of the lake, where a fisherman from San Pedro Tesistán cast off late Friday afternoon and presumably fell into the water when his boat capsized. Civil Protection units from Jocotepec and Guadalajara, assisted by local fishermen, discovered the missing vessel the next day. They were unable to locate the man’s corpse until it floated to the surface on Sunday morning.