Officials identify Durham man who drowned in fourth Falls Lake death this year

Durham County officials have identified a man who drowned at Falls Lake on Monday.

Juan Molinaro Licea, 36, of Durham, has died, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Tuesday.

Deputies and EMS had responded to a report of a possible drowning just after 1 p.m. Monday at the Rollingview boat ramp.

Witnesses told them a man had gone into the water and not resurfaced.

The Sheriff’s Office and the Durham County Fire Department searched the waters and discovered the man’s body.

Fourth drowning death this year

Falls Lake, north of Raleigh and east of Durham, has seen at least three other drowning deaths this year.

Last month, Wake County officials found the body of a Raleigh man who drowned in the lake.

In June, a 30-year-old Charlotte man drowned in the lake after he jumped off a boat to retrieve a piece of clothing, The News & Observer reported.

And in April, a 19-year-old from Knightdale died.

In 2020, an 8-year-old also drowned in the lake.

Drownings are one of three leading causes of unintentional injury death among people under the age of 30, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This story was originally published October 18, 2021 at 3:33 PM.