Drowning victim found after hours-long search at Falls Lake, sheriff’s office says
First responders recovered a man’s body from Falls Lake Saturday afternoon, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office said in an email, hours after they received a report of a possible drowning and began searching.
The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Pablo Reyes-Perdomo, according to ABC11, The News & Observer’s newsgathering partner.
The victim's brother, Gustavo Reyes Perdomo, said the two were fishing near the shore when their net got caught and Pablo fell into the water.
"When we tried to save him, it was too late," he told ABC11. "We're just heartbroken. ... We just never imagined that something like this would happen or could have happened."
The victim's other brother, Ramiro Reyes Perdomo, says his brother had a wife and young daughter in Honduras and was a great father and husband.
"He was a quiet and humble man. He always got along well with everyone," he said.
Deputies had received a report of the possible drowning near the Cheek Road bridge around 1:20 p.m. Saturday, according to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office.
Saturday’s report is the first drowning call of the year that the Sheriff’s Office has responded to at Falls Lake, the office confirmed to The News & Observer in an email.
This story was originally published March 21, 2026 at 5:20 PM.
