Fisherman Who Drowned In Coachella Valley Canal ID'd As Mecca Resident

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — A man who drowned in a North Shore canal earlier this week was identified as a 48-year-old Mecca resident, the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner's Bureau confirmed Friday.

Jose Villata was fishing with two friends Tuesday along the canal at Costa Mesa Drive and Avenue 68 when he accidentally dropped his cell phone in the water. He dove in to get it, and in the process became submerged underwater "for an extended period," according to the sheriff's department.

The friends called 911 and at approximately 5:24 p.m. deputies from the Thermal Sheriff's Station responded.

Nighttime darkness set in and Villata could not be found, so the search resumed Wednesday morning. Just before 8 a.m., a dive team for Riverside County Sheriff's Department went to the spot and found Villalta's body, according to the agency.

The sheriff's department urged residents to stay clear of the desert's canals.

"As a reminder, fishing in the canal is dangerous and prohibited by law anywhere in the Coachella Valley," the agency said. "Anyone wishing to fish should look for an authorized fishing location."