Latest news with #SimonDaniel
Fox News
23-05-2025
- Fox News
California State freshman drowns during fraternity trip to Arizona lake
Print Close By Julia Bonavita Published May 23, 2025 A California State freshman died in an accidental drowning while vacationing with fellow fraternity members in Arizona over the weekend, according to the Sigma Pi Fraternity at Cal State Fullerton. Simon Daniel, 18, was visiting Lake Havasu River with his fraternity on Saturday when he decided to go for a swim with friends. The college freshman entered the water with three fraternity brothers and two sorority members when "unbeknownst to them, recent heavy rains in the Havasu Valley region had significantly increased water flow, creating hazardous conditions including strong currents, crosswinds and swells," the fraternity said in a statement on Facebook. COLLEGE SENIOR KILLED AFTER 'ACCIDENTALLY' FALLING FROM TROPICAL ISLAND HOTEL BALCONY DAYS BEFORE GRADUATION Sigma Pi Fraternity's national chapter and Cal State Fullerton did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Several members of the fraternity jumped in to save the six students, according to Sigma Pi's Cal State Fullerton chapter. "Tragically, Simon was swept away by a sudden wave that separated him from one of the rescuers," the fraternity said. "He disappeared beneath the water." FAMILY OF COLLEGE STUDENT WHO DIED IN NASHVILLE FILES WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT AGAINST FRATERNITY The students called 911, with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, along with additional agencies, deploying divers, remotely operated vehicles and sonar to search for Daniel. Daniel "went under the water on Saturday and did not resurface," sheriff's deputies said, according to FOX 11. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for additional information. FIVE ILLEGALS CHARGED IN ALLEGED MARITIME HUMAN SMUGGLING ATTEMPT THAT LEFT CHILD DEAD Daniel's body was recovered Sunday morning following an extensive search by authorities. Daniel was studying computer science and is survived by his mother, according to the fraternity. Members of Daniel's family did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "[Simon] was known for his love of music, boundless energy and kind spirit," Sigma Pi's Cal State Fullerton chapter said in a statement. "He was the heart of the fraternity – genuine, joyful and someone who brightened every room with his brilliant smile." Print Close URL
San Francisco Chronicle
22-05-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area teen drowns at Lake Havasu during college fraternity trip
A Bay Area teenager drowned Saturday at Lake Havasu during a trip with his college fraternity, authorities said. Witnesses called 911 after Simon Daniel, an 18-year-old from Pinole, disappeared under the water around 3 p.m. Saturday near Copper Canyon on Lake Havasu, a recreation spot in Southern California on the Arizona border, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. In a Facebook post, the Sigma Pi Fraternity at California State University, Fullerton, identified Daniel as a proud member and freshman studying computer science. That afternoon, Daniel entered the Lake Havasu River with several fraternity brothers and sorority members who 'found themselves in distress,' according to the Facebook post. 'Unbeknownst to them, recent heavy rains in the Havasu Valley region had significantly increased water flow, creating hazardous conditions including strong currents, crosswinds and swells,' according to the fraternity. Several fraternity members tried to rescue the swimmers, but Daniel was swept away by a sudden wave and separated from his group, according to the post. Deputies from the San Bernardino and Mohave county sheriff's departments deployed divers and remote operated vehicles where Daniel was last seen in the water, authorities said. The search team found his body around 8:54 a.m. Sunday, according to the sheriff's office. The fraternity said Daniel was a respected leader on campus who was known for his love of music, boundless energy and kind spirit. More than 200 people gathered Sunday evening in Fullerton for a candlelight memorial where people placed bouquets of flowers by photos of the smiling teen. 'He was the heart of the fraternity — genuine, joyful, and someone who brightened every room with his brilliant smile,' the fraternity said.
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Miami Herald
18-year-old vanishes as friends try to pull him from lake, CA fraternity says
An 18-year-old's body has been found after he vanished while swimming at Lake Havasu on the California-Arizona border, sheriff's officials reported. A 911 caller reported that Simon Daniel, 18, of Pinole, California, went underwater and did not resurface near Copper Canyon on the lake at about 3 p.m. Saturday, May 17, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said in a news release. Daniel, a first-year student at California State University, Fullerton, visited the lake with fellow fraternity and sorority members, the Sigma Pi fraternity at the college said on Facebook. The swimmers did not realize that recent heavy rains had created dangerous conditions in the water, the fraternity said. Other fraternity members entered the water to assist the swimmers, but a wave separated Daniel from the others and he vanished underwater, the fraternity said. A dive team using sonar and a remote-operated vehicle found his body just before 9 a.m. Sunday, May 18, the sheriff's office said. He was known for his 'love of music, boundless energy and kind spirit,' the fraternity said. The fraternity described Daniel as a computer science major and 'a respected leader on campus' at the Los Angeles-area university. 'He was the heart of the fraternity - genuine, joyful and someone who brightened every room with his brilliant smile,' the fraternity said. Deputies ask anyone with information to call Cpl. Brandon Abell at 760-326-9200. Lake Havasu is about a 300-mile drive east from Los Angeles.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Cal State Fullerton freshman drowns during fraternity trip to Lake Havasu
A fraternity trip to Lake Havasu ended in tragedy over the weekend after an 18-year-old Cal State Fullerton student drowned in swift-moving waters at the popular recreation destination, authorities said. Simon Daniel disappeared below the surface while swimming in the Copper Canyon area around 3 p.m. Saturday, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. His body was found around 8:54 a.m. the next morning, officials said. The drowning was the first of at least two emergencies involving college students that the Sheriff's Department responded to over the weekend. Tanner Prentis, a 22-year-old UC Santa Barbara student, went missing after spending Saturday night out with with friends in Big Bear Lake. His body was found in the water on Monday. Read more: Missing UC Santa Barbara student found dead in Big Bear Lake The Sigma Pi fraternity said in a statement that Daniel was "the heart of the fraternity" and "brightened every room with his brilliant smile." The freshman computer science major hails from Pinole and was known for his "love of music, boundless energy and kind smile." According to the fraternity, Daniel entered the water at Lake Havasu River alongside three fraternity brothers and two members of a sorority that joined the brothers on the trip. The group was unaware that recent rainfall had led to hazardous swimming conditions including strong currents, crosswind and swells, the fraternity wrote. After suddenly finding themselves in distress, several other fraternity brothers "heroically risked their own lives" in an attempt to rescue the six students, according to the fraternity. But Daniel was swept away by a sudden wave, separated from one of the rescuers and disappeared below the surface. Rescue teams from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and the Mohave County Sheriff's Department deployed divers to where Daniel was last seen, authorities said. Divers scoured the water and deployed sonar scanners to search for Daniel until nightfall. On Sunday morning divers located and recovered his body with the help of a remotely operated vehicle. More than 200 students attended a candlelit vigil for Daniel on Sunday night. "Simon is survived by his mother and a community of loved ones and brothers who deeply mourn his loss," the fraternity wrote. Both Cal State Fullerton and UC Santa Barbara are offering crisis counseling services to help students cope with the sudden deaths. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
CBS News
19-05-2025
- CBS News
Bay Area teen drowns near Lake Havasu's Copper Canyon
LAKE HAVASU – A Bay Area teenager drowned in Lake Havasu near Copper Canyon on Saturday, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said. The department's Colorado River Station responded to a report that a man, identified as 18-year-old Simon Daniel of Pinole, California, possibly drowned near Copper Canyon on Lake Havasu around 3 p.m. on Saturday. Authorities said Daniel went underwater for unknown reasons but never resurfaced. Divers were immediately deployed in the area where Daniel was last seen in the water. Dive operations were suspended and search crews used sonar scanning until darkness fell. Search crews located Daniel's body Sunday morning, deputies said.
