Man drowns while trying to save 2 dogs from California waterfall, officials say

SCOTT VALLEY, Calif. (Gray News) – A man drowned Saturday after he attempted to rescue his dogs from the base of a waterfall in California, officials said.

The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as 47-year-old Robert Lewis.

According to the sheriff’s office, deputies received a 911 call from Lewis’ wife Saturday afternoon saying her husband had gone into the base of the waterfall to rescue two of the family’s dogs when she saw him get swept away and never resurface.

Officials said multiple agencies responded to search for Lewis in the remote Shackleford Falls area, which is near the Oregon border.

Thanks to multiple recovery tools, a water search canine, and rescue divers, the victim's body... — Thanks to multiple recovery tools, a water search canine, and rescue divers, the victim's body was recovered Sunday afternoon.(Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office)

Rescuers could not locate Lewis on Saturday. Thanks to multiple recovery tools, a water search canine, and rescue divers, Lewis’ body was recovered Sunday afternoon.

According to Public Information Officer Courtney Kreider, one of the dogs that Lewis was attempting to rescue, a German shepherd, drowned. Its body was located on Saturday. The second dog has not been found as of Tuesday morning.