An Omaha teen who drowned in Lake Manawa on Memorial Day has been identified by Iowa authorities.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has identified the boy as sixteen year old Edgar Gregorio Loarca Garcia. Dive teams recovered the teen's body Monday after a search effort that lasted for more than two hours.
Crews were called to the scene just after 1:00 Monday afternoon. Council Bluffs Assistant Fire Chief Derek Williams said the teen was with his two siblings on an inflatable tube when he fell off and did not come back up.
Other swimmers at Lake Manawa beach knew there was a problem. Witness Matthew Zink told 6 News they tried to jump into action. "Joined up with everyone in the group and held hands to try to be a human net and see if he's anywhere around."
Because Memorial Day is always busy on Lake Manawa, the Iowa DNR already had boats on the water that could quickly begin the search. Eventually Council Bluffs and Omaha Rescue and dive teams joined in with a drone giving them a wider view of the swimming area.
Investigators asked all boats and people in the water nearby to get out so the sonar wouldn't get confused. That sonar finally picked up on the teen's body two hours later but it was no longer a rescue mission.
It is believed that Garcia was a non-experienced swimmer and officials said this death does not appear to be suspicious. The Council Bluffs Fire Department is investigating whether a medical condition may have been the reason the teenager fell into the water. An autopsy will be conducted on Garcia.
The swimming area at the Lake Manawa beach is expected to be closed for the rest of the week.