A Lake Berryessa woman who was pulled out of Lake Berryessa unconscious Thursday died early Friday at a Napa County hospital.

Her death and two others this week in the lake have spurred the Bureau of Reclamation to temporarily close the Oak Shores area for evaluation.

At about 3 p.m. Thursday, Shannon Johnson, 40, was swimming at Acorn Beach in the Oak Shores area with two friends, according to the Napa County Sheriff's Office.

Lori Popoloski, 38, and Charles Blessing, 43, lost track of Johnson and began looking for her, Detective Chris Carlisle said.

They spotted her after walking along an elevated point and looking down into the water.

Popoloski and Blessing were able to pull her to the shore, Carlisle said. They performed CPR with the help of other people who came to assist, he said.

Medical help arrived and Johnson was flown by helicopter to St. Helena Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 12:55 a.m. Friday.

Detectives also went to the beach to interview possible witnesses.

“We’re just looking into it to make sure there is no foul play involved,” he said, adding that there isn’t anything suspicious about the case so far.

It appears that alcohol was involved in the drowning, Carlisle said. An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday.

Johnson’s drowning is the third in four days at Lake Berryessa. Five other people have drowned at the lake so far this year.

On Monday, a 23-year-old Guatemala man drowned while attempting to swim to an island in the Foxtail Flat area of the lake.

A day later, a man from Fairfield was swimming to an island from Acorn Beach when he began struggling. The 26-year-old went under and friends were unable to help him.

In both cases, the Napa County Sheriff's Office’s dive team responded and found the men’s bodies in the water.

The rash of deaths sparked concern among Bureau of Reclamation officials about safety at the lake.

It is closing the shores of the lake in the Oak Shores area so experts can study the shoreline to see if there are any hazards that might have contributed to the drownings, said Pete Lucero, public affairs officer for the bureau’s Pacific Region.

The reservoir is being drawn down now, causing changes swimmers might not realize.

“As it goes down, things that we don’t normally see when the reservoir is higher, being to appear,” he said, adding that there may be drop-offs or objects in places people don’t expect them.

“We’ve just had three people drown there in the last five or six days, and we’re just not sure what the cause might be,” he said, adding that it could be the drownings are unrelated and a result of the victims’ swimming abilities.   

The bureau hopes to conclude the studies and reopen the shores of the lake within a few days, Lucero said. Picnic areas and the campground will remain open.

Lake visitors may also continue to swim from boats and from other areas of the lake.

Bureau officials are saddened by the recent deaths, Lucero said.

“It’s just extremely unfortunate,” he said. “We really feel for the families of those folks.”

Officials warn residents to be careful around water and wear life jackets. The Bureau of Reclamation loans life jackets at the water education center in Oak Shores.

“There’s inherent dangers, and people really need to be cautious of their surroundings,” Lucero said.

Consuming alcohol can also be dangerous when swimming, Carlisle said.

“(Drinking) doesn’t blend well with swimming,” he said.

Investigators are looking for witnesses who may have been in the area at the time of Johnson’s drowning. They are asking anyone with any information to call Carlisle at 253-6030.

People also can also send a message to sherifftip line@co.napa.ca.us or call the Sheriff's Investigations Office at 253-4591 or the tipline at 877-425-4847.



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