Anaheim Man Identified as Drowning Victim
A man who apparently drowned last week after he was caught in a riptide off Huntington State Beach has been identified as an 18-year-old Anaheim resident, police said.
Son Bao Nguyen was spotted by a fisherman in 3- to 5-foot surf near the mouth of the Santa Ana River on Thursday, police said. Nguyen was pulled from the water by lifeguards and a surfer but could not be resuscitated, officials said.
The man, a student at Rancho Alamitos High School in Garden Grove, was identified from the thumbprint on his driver’s license, a coroner’s spokesperson said. Nguyen was swimming alone, officials said. Authorities could find no clothing or identification on the beach.
An autopsy did not determine conclusively the cause of death so toxicology tests were performed; the results could take up to six weeks, authorities said.
Nguyen had been wading in chest-high water when the rip current pulled him about 75 yards from the shore, officials said.
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