The body of a 25-year-old Santa Maria man was recovered from Lopez Lake on Monday after he went missing while swimming the day before.

Sergio MendiolaGarcia was not wearing a life preserver when he became distressed in the water Sunday afternoon, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.

Emergency responders were at the lake Monday continuing to search for a man who went missing in Lopez Lake on Sunday.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call reporting “a possible drowning” in the lake Sunday evening, the agency said.

Reporting parties at the scene said MendiolaGarcia was swimming “when he became distressed and appeared to be drowning before going underwater,” according to the Sheriff’s Office. Family members tried to find him but could not.

A search effort Sunday afternoon and evening included a “full water rescue response” with boats, jet skis, drones, paddle boards and rescue swimmers assisting in the search effort, the San Luis Obispo County Fire Department said during the initial response.

The Sheriff’s Office took over the search from the Fire Department late Sunday. According to spokesperson Grace Norris, the agency’s dive and drone teams were both out at the lake again as of early Monday morning.

“We have divers in the water and are using the drones to search overhead,” Norris said.

Around 12:40 p.m., a Tribune reporter at the scene witnessed a boat return to the Lopez Lake marina area and a stretcher with what appeared to be a body with a cloth draped over it be taken from the boat and transported into a white SLO County Sheriff’s Office vehicle.

Further details were not immediately available on the circumstances of the man’s disappearance. Norris said more information would be released by the Sheriff’s Office as it obtained it.

“Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on X midday Monday.

“Last night, we received a 9-1-1 call reporting a possible drowning involving an adult male at Lake Lopez. Emergency crews responded immediately, however, he was not located. Our Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drone Team) and Underwater Search and Recovery (Dive Team) have been actively searching since early this morning. Our dive team is currently in the water conducting search operations, and efforts are ongoing. We will provide updates as more information becomes available. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”

This story was originally published by the San Luis Obispo Tribune.