Authorities ID boy, man who drowned in Russian River over weekend

(KRON) — A teenage boy and a man who drowned in the Russian River in separate incidents over the weekend have been identified by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday.

Elan Miranda, 17, of Oakland, was pronounced deceased after deputies responded to Monte Rio Beach just before 3 p.m. on Sunday. Miranda and another teenager were reported to be struggling in the water before beachgoers were able to bring one person ashore. Miranda had slipped underwater for about 20 minutes before he was found.

Less than an hour later, near Martinelli Beach along the Russian River, Pranav Narain, 31, of San Francisco, was pronounced deceased. Authorities believe Narain may have fallen from a paddleboard before drowning.

Neither of the drowning victims were wearing life jackets.

On Monday, Sonoma County officials issued warnings for those planning to visit local waterways.

“Our beaches are open beaches. They don’t have lifeguards that are working there,” Deputy Sheriff David Arvizo of the SCSO Marine Unit said. “If you’re not a strong swimmer, stay out of the water. Our waterways are unforgiving. If you do choose to get in the water, you need to have some sort of flotation device.”