Canoe Death: Oakland Man Dies Near Calistoga

OAKLAND, CA — The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office has identified a man who died Wednesday in a canoe accident as Lamerle Johnson, 45, of Oakland.

Johnson was attending a leadership retreat in the 4000 block of Mountain Home Ranch in unincorporated Sonoma County near Calistoga, sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Crum said.

He was alone in a canoe on a private lake when it topped and he fell into the frigid water around 7:30 a.m., Crum said.

Johnson was not a strong swimmer and he was not wearing a life jacket, Crum said.

A person in another canoe and another person on shore witnessed the incident and jumped into the water to try to save Johnson, but he was not visible under the murky water, Crum said.

The witnesses called 911 and the sheriff's dive team was summoned, but Johnson's body surfaced before the divers arrived, Crum said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

— Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock