For Immediate Release
Sergeant Anthony Prencipe
On September 9, 2018, at about 6:30 pm, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office was called regarding a possible drowning on South Lake Tahoe. Chaitanya Datla, A 32 year old man from Cameron Park was on a rental boat with family members on the lake. It was reported that Chaitanya jumped off the boat to swim in the water without a life vest. While he was swimming, the boat floated away from him. Family members on board called 911 when Chaitanya disappeared under the surface of the water.
South Lake Tahoe Police Department had originally been called and responded on the lake in an attempt to locate the victim. The United States Coast Guard also deployed a boat to the area conducting a parallel and expanding square search of the area. This area of the lake has a depth of around 1,100 feet and no signs of life were found.
The following morning, EDSO Dive team, along with US Coast Guard, South Lake Tahoe PD, and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, searched the same area of the lake and did not locate Chaitanya. The Sheriff’s Office is still looking for Chaitanya, who has been listed as a missing person. The accident investigation is being conducted by South Lake Tahoe PD.
