Divers recover drowning victim at county park

A body was recovered from Cottonwood Lake at Hellyer County Park in San Jose on Sunday afternoon after park rangers reported a person in distress in the water, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. Rangers were alerted at about 1:40 p.m., and the sheriff's office said the San Jose Fire Department also responded to the scene. The sheriff's Dive Team and Underwater Search Unit were then called in to search the lake. Authorities said the person was pronounced dead at 4:11 p.m. ### When did the emergency unfold at Cottonwood Lake? Sunday's emergency began at about 1:40 p.m., when Santa Clara County park rangers were alerted to a person in distress in the water at Cottonwood Lake, the sheriff's office said. The lake is inside Hellyer County Park in San Jose. By late afternoon, the search had shifted to recovery. (nbcbayarea.com) Sheriff's officials said the Dive Team and Underwater Search Unit searched the lake and found a body, which was pronounced dead at 4:11 p.m. ### Which agencies responded at the park? The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said its Dive Team and Underwater Search Unit were called to Cottonwood Lake after the initial report from park rangers. (nbcbayarea.com) The San Jose Fire Department also responded, according to the sheriff's office account carried by local media. ABC7 reported the victim was a man and described the death as an apparent drowning, citing the sheriff's office. (nbcbayarea.com) NBC Bay Area reported the sheriff's office described the case as an incident at the lake pending confirmation of identity and cause of death. ### What have authorities said about the victim? (nbcbayarea.com) The person's identity had not been confirmed as of the latest public statements reviewed on Friday, and authorities had not released the name. The Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner-Coroner will determine the cause and manner of death, the sheriff's office said. NBC Bay Area reported that next of kin had not yet been notified at the time of publication. (abc7news.com) Local outlets did not report an age for the victim in the initial accounts. ### Where exactly is Cottonwood Lake? Cottonwood Lake is at Hellyer County Park in south San Jose, according to the sheriff's office statements cited by local news outlets. (nbcbayarea.com) Initial reports consistently placed the incident at the county park rather than at a private or residential lake. Patch's local item said divers were called after rangers spotted a person in distress in Cottonwood Lake. (nbcbayarea.com) Other local reports matched the same sequence: ranger report, fire response, dive-team search and body recovery. ### What remains unanswered in the investigation? The Medical Examiner-Coroner's findings will establish the victim's identity and the official cause and manner of death, according to the sheriff's office. (nbcbayarea.com) Authorities had not publicly described how the person entered the water or whether anyone else was involved in the incident. (patch.com) No agency reviewed in the initial reports announced immediate changes to access or safety rules at Hellyer County Park. The next public update is likely to come from the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office or the Medical Examiner-Coroner after identification and family notification. (nbcbayarea.com)