An unidentified man was found dead early Wednesday inside a water-pumping plant in the desert near the California-Arizona border, authorities said.
Deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department responded to the Iron Mountain Pumping Plant at about 6:45 a.m. after receiving word that a person had been found floating in the plant’s intake area, according to authorities.
In a statement to The Times, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California confirmed that the man was not one of their employees at the plant.
“Still, our hearts go out to the friends and family of the individual involved,” said Rebecca Kimitch, a spokesperson for the agency.
The man was described as bald, white, approximately 5 feet 9 and weighing 225 pounds. He was wearing a white tank top and orange shorts when he was found, the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
The plant is located in Earp, Calif., in the Mojave Desert south of Needles. Operated by the MWD, it is part of the network that brings water to Southern California via the Colorado River Aqueduct.
The operations of the plant “and the safety of our water deliveries from the Colorado River Aqueduct” have not been impacted, Kimitch said.
“We are also responding to the needs of our employees at the facility given these unfortunate circumstances,” she said.
Authorities conducted “a comprehensive death investigation” and a “thorough search of the surrounding area,” authorities said. The search also included assistance from the Metropolitan Water District Aviation Unit.
The sheriff’s department has not been able to determine how the man entered the waterway, but no foul play is suspected at this point. Further investigation into the cause and manner of death is being handled by the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Division, authorities said.
In a statement, the MWD said that it is “highly unusual for an unauthorized person to enter our facilities.” Fencing exists along the aqueduct and MWD facilities “to prevent unauthorized access,” and signage warns about the dangers of entering the canal.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the sheriff’s department at (760) 326-9200.
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