Bay Area man drowns at Sand Harbor

By Kathryn Reed

A San Mateo man drowned at Sand Harbor after he fell off a borrowed standup paddleboard.

Kenneth Campo, 42, was between 200 and 300 yards from shore to the right of the boat ramp on Aug. 23 about 3:45pm. Witnesses told authorities they heard him yell, fall and never surface.

Someone on shore swam to the area and was able to pull Campo off the bottom of the lake from about 20-feet down. Campo was pronounced dead at an area hospital.

Ed Lyngar with the Nevada Department of Wildlife said the death is under investigation.

“People who visit Tahoe are often unprepared for cold water. Cold water shock is a real thing,” Lyngar told Lake Tahoe News. “Cold water can cause swim failure. That is why we say a life jacket is the most important piece of equipment you can have.”

Lyngar was quick to add that it is too soon to know if that is what happened in this case.

Lake Tahoe can feel warm to the touch, especially this time of year, or even a foot down. But farther down and farther offshore it can quickly drop to 60 degrees.

Lyngar said because Campo borrowed the board he missed out on the safety talk from the rental company that would have gone over issues about the water temperature.

A life jacket was secured to the paddleboard with the leash that is supposed to be strapped to a paddler’s ankle.

The law in Nevada is standup paddlers must have a life jacket on the paddle. People 12 and younger must wear a jacket.