The body of a man who had reportedly jumped from a boat and drowned at Roosevelt Lake has been recovered, according to the Gila County Sheriff's Office.
The man, identified by authorities as 37-year-old Ruperto Cervantes of Tucson, was found by a boater on the lake on Aug. 6, according to a Sheriff's Office news release posted on Facebook.
Deputies were alerted to the possible drowning on the north side of Roosevelt Lake, across from Cholla Bay, just before 7 p.m. on Aug. 2. During the investigation, deputies learned Cervantes had jumped from a boat into the water to cool off, the release stated.
A witness told deputies that Cervantes began to struggle shortly after entering the water, became submerged and did not resurface.
The site was secured
and search operations were called off for the night. The search continued the next morning and through the week with members of the Tonto Rim Search and Rescue team and multiple other agencies.
Sheriff J. Adam Shepherd offered his condolences to Cervantes' family and friends during the difficult time, according to the release.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: He was cooling off in Roosevelt Lake. Days later, his body was found
