Yadessa Aga, 32, an Amazon software engineer from Austin, Texas, died Monday after becoming unresponsive in Lake Tahoe near Sand Harbor
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Washoe County sheriff’s deputies were called to the North Sand Harbor boat ramp at about 8 p.m. Monday after receiving a report of a possible water rescue
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Bystanders on paddleboards got to him first
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When deputies arrived, bystanders were bringing an unresponsive man to shore, and deputies began lifesaving measures, which medical personnel continued after reaching the scene
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Deputies and medics worked to revive him.
Aga was pronounced dead at the park, and the sheriff’s office said it was investigating the death as an accidental drowning
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The Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office had not determined his cause of death as of the report.
Aga was a software engineer employed by Amazon in Austin, according to LinkedIn
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Aga had swum toward a group of boulders offshore around dusk before going underwater and becoming unresponsive
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Numerous people at the scene reported several people, many on paddleboards, attempting to rescue the man from the water before first responders arrived
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Sand Harbor is on Lake Tahoe’s east shore, near Incline Village and roughly 30 miles southwest of Reno, known for its sandy beaches, clear water and large granite formations, and is heavily used for swimming, kayaking, boating and scuba diving
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Lake Tahoe’s water can remain cold even during the summer, and temperatures near the surface can change when colder water rises from deeper parts of the lake
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A regional public education campaign warns that sudden immersion can cause involuntary gasping, rapid breathing and loss of muscle control, and estimates that cold-water shock contributes to an average of seven drownings at Lake Tahoe each year
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In the viral moment that led to this tragedy, Aga entered the water at Sand Harbor on Monday evening as the sun began to set. He swam out toward the distinctive offshore boulders that define the beach’s landscape. At some point in the water, he went under and became unresponsive. Bystanders—many equipped with paddleboards—rushed to help, pulling him toward the shore before emergency crews arrived. Despite immediate life-saving efforts from both bystanders and first responders, he could not be revived.
The Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office says examination reports typically take 10 to 12 weeks to complete
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