Coroner unravels mystery of man found dead in Merced County dairy lagoon. ID released
A man found dead in a Merced County dairy lagoon in October has been identified by the Merced County Sheriff Coroner’s Office as 55-year-old Cruz Urquiza Bahena of Merced, according to Deputy Daryl Allen.
Deputies responded to the 5800 block of Warden Avenue for a report of a possible body in a dairy lagoon on Oct. 29. Due to contaminants in the lagoon, Merced County Sheriff’s Office Water Rescue and Recovery team divers used a special contamination dive suit to enter the lagoon and recover the body. The Calfire Hazardous Materials response team assisted with decontamination of the divers, according to authorities.
According to Allen, the death appears to be accidental and circumstances surrounding the man’s death remain under investigation.
“At this point we’re investigating it as an accident,” Allen said.
Authorities said an official cause of death has not been determined at this time.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Merced County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Bureau at 209-385-7472 or non-emergency line at 209-385-7445.
This story was originally published November 10, 2021 at 6:16 PM.