Body of Drowned Swimmer Found

The body of a 22-year-old Newhall man was pulled from Lake Piru on Tuesday by members of the Ventura County sheriff’s search-and-rescue team, authorities said.

Isidro Castillo was swimming in the lake at about 5:30 p.m. Monday when he encountered problems, authorities said. He yelled for his girlfriend, 25-year-old Maria Jimenez of Newhall, to throw him a buoy, but witnesses said Jimenez was unable to get the flotation device to Castillo.

Volunteer divers searched unsuccessfully for Castillo late into the evening. They were back at the lake early Tuesday, and at 10 a.m. diver Jim Mabry discovered Castillo’s body.

An autopsy confirmed that Castillo had drowned, said a spokesman for the Ventura County medical examiner’s office.

Castillo, one of 11 children, worked as a cook at the International House of Pancakes in Stevenson Ranch near Valencia in Los Angeles County.

Mike Axley, the restaurant’s manager, called Castillo a hard worker who got along with everyone. “He was very friendly and outgoing,” Axley said.

Castillo’s parents, Roberto and Eulalia Castillo, live in Mexico, authorities said.

On July 4, Liborio Dominguez of Long Beach drowned in Lake Piru after entering the water to rescue his young daughter. The girl was saved, but Dominguez’s body was not discovered until several days later.