Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On Monday, September 1st, 2008, at about 11:30 A.M., Piru Lake Rangers and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Dive Team located the body of drowning victim, Anatoly Smolyansky, in the water at Lake Piru. Anatoly Smolyansky drowned on the evening of August 25th after he tragically disappeared under the water at Lake Piru
At the time of the original accident, Mr. Smolyansky never resurfaced after jumping into the lake to rescue his five-year-old daughter who had fallen overboard. She was later rescued by her 9 year-old brother.

After the drowning accident, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department immediately deployed Search and Rescue resources to the lake, which included a Sheriff’s helicopter, a rescue swimmer, and Search and Rescue Dive Team. The search turned into a large scale, six-day operation involving approximately ten government agencies. The search was conducted in an area on the lake called the “Narrows and Diablo Cove.”

Rescue divers searched over 600 dive hours and were assisted by fifteen divers from Oxnard Police and Fire, Los Angeles County Sheriff and Los Angeles County Lifeguard Divers.

In addition, the Sheriff’s Department used helicopters, remote R.O.V Min-Subs, Sonar and Side-Scanning Tow vehicles to search the lake. Lake Piru. Rangers and approximately one hundred volunteers from the Hatzolah Organization of Los Angeles searched day after day for Mr. Smolyansky’s body. Daily search operations were conducted from 7:00 A.M to 8:00 P.M.

The recovery operation resumed this morning, Monday, September 01, 2008, at approximately 7:00 AM. A Sheriff’s helicopter and search and rescue marine resources, including Park Rangers and a Sheriff’s Dive Team were used. In addition, about thirty volunteers from Hatzolah were involved in today’s search.

At about 11:30 A.M, the Sheriff’s Dive Team and Park Rangers were working on the lake in an area North of Diablo Cove when they located Mr. Smolyansky’s body floating in the water. The body was recovered and released to the Ventura County Medical Examiner. The family has been notified.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department would like to thank the Lake Piru Rangers, Hatzolah Rescue Organization and all the assisting government organizations that have lent their support to this operation.