San Jose teen who drowned in San Joaquin River identified

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – The 15-year-old boy who went missing and drowned in the San Joaquin River on Sunday was identified by the Fresno County Coroner’s Office on Tuesday.

Teams searching for the missing teenager in the San Joaquin River recovered a body from the bottom of the river on Monday; the Fresno County Coroner’s Office confirmed on Tuesday morning that the body was that of 15-year-old Nixon Quinonez Guerra who had gone missing on Sunday.

Officials say Nixon was from San Jose and was in Firebaugh visiting family.

Deputies say on Sunday at around 4:30 p.m., Firebaugh police responded to the area near 11th and Q Streets behind the Firebaugh Rodeo Grounds for a possible drowning. Officials say Nixon went into the river to attempt to retrieve a ball that went into the water but did not resurface. Deputies say he was not wearing a life jacket and did not know how to swim.

In an online GoFundMe fundraiser , Quinonez was described by loved ones as “one of the sweetest souls in the world.”

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