KELSEYVILLE ? The body of a man was recovered from the water at Highlands Springs Park near Kelseyville on Saturday. According to autopsy results, the man died due to Ischemic heart disease, not drowning.
“An autopsy conducted showed the decedent”s cause of death was actually due to Ischemic heart disease not drowning,” Sheriff?s Captain Rob Howe said. According to the American Heart Association, Ischemic heart disease is characterized by reduced oxygen and blood supply to the heart.
Rescue response was requested at 4:48 p.m. when dispatch advised multiple callers reporting that a man went down in the water and hadn”t come back up. Dispatch said that witnesses stated this occurred in the east side of the park near the rope swing.
At 4:58 p.m., an emergency responder on scene advised that the incident had become a recovery operation and requested response by the dive team. The victim, identified as Chinh Pham, 63, of Oakland was located by a dive team member at approximately 7:13 p.m. about 45-feet from shore in water approximately 15 -feet deep. Howe, said that Pham”s body was found tangled in weeds.
According to Howe, Pham”s wife told deputies that they were in Lake County on vacation. They were with a group of friends and went to the park for recreation. Pham was swimming just off shore when he went under water and never resurfaced. Several people at the park dove into the water in an attempt to help Pham but could not locate him, Howe said.
