OJAI : Man Drowns in Ventura River
An Ojai man drowned in the Ventura River near Meiners Oaks on Thursday after he plunged over a small diversion dam and failed to surface, authorities said.
Brian Miller, 22, was pronounced dead at Ojai Valley Community Hospital, not long after his 21-year-old companion, Jim Wallace, pulled him from the water with the aid of a passerby shortly after 6 p.m., said Ventura County Sheriff’s Lt. Gary Markley.
Wallace was in serious condition at Ventura County Medical Center, a nursing supervisor said.
Both men were wearing wet suits, and a pair of inner tubes was found near the scene of the incident, Markley said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
