Full Notification

Public Information Release
June 28, 2016
Lieutenant Steve Brooks, Public Information Officer


On June 26, 2016 at approximately 8:12 pm, deputies responded to the Clearlake State Park Marina in Kelseyville, for a male subject who had reportedly fallen into the water and not surfaced. Central Dispatch advised people had witnessed the subject fall from his boat into the water which was next to the docks. Central also advised that several people who witnessed the fall were in the water trying to locate the man who was later identified as 59 year old Caldwell Joseph Pitre of Palo Alto.

Witnesses said they saw Pitre pull into the dock area of the marina just as it was starting to get dark. They noticed Pitre leaning over the side of his boat and he appeared to be tying the boat to the dock, when he slipped and fell into the water. He surfaced a couple of times and yelled for help. As several people attempted to help Pitre, he disappeared below the surface and they could not locate him.

Deputies from both patrol and the marine unit responded to the area and started searching for Pitre. Clearlake State Park Rangers also responded and assisted with the search. The Northshore Dive Team responded to the scene and searched the area around the dock where Pitre was last seen. They also searched areas where the marine deputies had obtained images of unknown objects with their side scan sonar. Deputies and park rangers searched the area of the marina using side scan sonar until approximately 1:45 am, when they were forced to scale back the search due to exhausting all of the current resources, poor visibility and lack of light.

The search resumed on June 27th at approximately 7:45 am, as deputies continued the search using their side scan sonar. At approximately 11:00 am deputies were able to locate and mark an unknown image and requested the Northshore Dive Team. At approximately 11:15 am, divers were able to locate Mr. Pitre and remove him from the water. Mr. Pitre’s cause of death is pending autopsy results.


Swimming Safety Tips

Swimming is a great recreational sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. But it’s important to know how to be safe while you’re in the water. The American Red Cross offers these important swimming safety tips you should be aware of before you head out to the pool or beach:
• Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.
• Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone.
• Never leave a young child unattended near water and do not trust a child’s life to another child; teach children to always ask permission to go near water.
• Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.
• Maintain constant supervision.
• Make sure everyone in your family learns to swim well. Enroll in age-appropriate Red Cross water orientation and learn-to-swim courses.
• If you have a pool, secure it with appropriate barriers. Many children who drown in home pools were out of sight for less than five minutes and in the care of one or both parents at the time.
• Avoid distractions when supervising children around water.
• If a child is missing, check the water first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.
• Have appropriate equipment, such as reaching or throwing equipment, a cell phone, life jackets and a first aid kit.
• Know how and when to call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
• Enroll in Red Cross home pool safety, water safety, first aid and CPR/AED courses to learn how to prevent and respond to emergencies.
• Protect your skin. Limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and wear sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15.
• Drink plenty of water regularly, even if you’re not thirsty. Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine in them.