A 66-year-old man was found dead at the bottom of the South Fork Eel River right next to the annual Reggae on the River festival in Mendocino County, and authorities say the man was attending the festival and died by drowning.
We are in that phase of the year when we all too often hear of fatal drownings in NorCal rivers, and we unfortunately have news of another. The Bay Area News Group reports that the body of 66-year-old Robert Samuel James was found at the bottom of the South Fork Eel River in Mendocino County. James had reportedly been attending the county’s annual Reggae on the River festival on the first weekend of August, a festival which had returned in 2024 after a five-year hiatus.
James’s body was found on the second day of the festival (Saturday, August 2). And the Chronicle reports that the grisly discovery was made by a snorkeler with the nonprofit CalTrout, who do work on invasive fish removal.
Though the body was found about a mile and a half upstream from the designated festival area. “It remains unclear where he entered the river or why he was at that location south of the festival grounds,” Mendocino Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Captain Quincy Cromer told the Mendocino news site Redheaded Blackbelt.
Still, an autopsy has confirmed that James did indeed die by drowning. While he was not wearing a festival wristband when his body was found, a friend confirmed that he had traveled to the festival with James from Los Angeles, where James lived, and the two were reportedly affiliated with a festival vending booth.
“We are saddened by the discovery of a deceased individual in the South Fork of the Eel River, upstream from the Reggae on the River festival site,” the Mateel Community Center that organizes the festival said in a statement. “Our condolences go out to the family and friends affected, and we are cooperating with the appropriate authorities as they continue their work. We are awaiting more information from the proper authorities before commenting further.”
Related: Two Unrelated, Fatal Drownings Occur Within an Hour of Each Other Sunday In Russian River [SFist]
Image: Reggae on the River via Facebook
