Missing California worker found dead in dried fruit facility’s wastewater lagoon

A missing employee at a dried fruit supply facility in California was found dead inside an industrial wastewater lagoon after being tasked with removing rainwater from its tarp.

On April 24, employees conducted a search of the plant and discovered that colleague Juan Patino, 39, had not logged out the previous day at the National Raisin Company in Fowler, California. His work vehicle had not moved, and his hard hat was still on site.

Fire crews and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

Officials later noted a tear in the canvas cover of the large wastewater lagoon located at the facility next to an array of solar panels. They were told at the scene that the pond contained caustic chemicals. Due to safety concerns for accessing what the facility designated as a “water digester”, specialized commercial divers from Utah trained for hazardous environments were called in to assist in the recovery.

In a statement, the company’s CEO Joe Leon called it a “heartbreaking loss for our entire organization.”

A cause of death for Patino remains under investigation.