Oakland man drowns in Russian River

A 21-year-old Oakland man drowned Sunday afternoon in the Russian River near Forestville.

The drowning occurred about 300 yards upstream from the main section of Steelhead Beach, according to a Sonoma County's Sheriff's Office press release. A spokeswoman said officials were withholding the man's name until they notify his family.

Emergency dispatchers received the first call for help about 4:30 p.m. Sheriff's deputies, CHP officers, Forestville firefighters and state parks staff members joined in the search for the man, as did the Sheriff's Office Henry-1 helicopter.

Shortly after 5 p.m., one of the man's friends located the body about 5 yards from where the man had been last seen, said Eric Gromala, an engineer with the Forestville Fire Department. Friends said the man previously had been hanging onto a branch near the shore opposite Steelhead Beach and may have been trying to get out of the water.

“There wasn't a strong current” where the drowning took place, Gromala said.

It remained unclear Sunday evening whether the victim knew how to swim.

You can reach Staff Writer Robert Digitale at 707-521-5285 or robert.digitale@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @rdigit.

Editor's note: Early reports listed the victim's age as 19. This article has been corrected to show the victim's age as 21 years old.