Ask the Memphian: Is it safe to swim in the Mississippi River?
Members of the Shelby County Fire Department search for three men who were swept away in the Mississippi River while fishing July 22. (Courtesy Shelby County Sheriff’s Office)
The three men decided to go fishing in the Mississippi River on the afternoon of July 22, casting lines off a sandbar near the boat ramp at Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, a little north of Memphis.
It’s unclear exactly what happened next, but it was a brutally hot day in the city, with the temperatures hitting 95 degrees with a heat index of 110. The cool water must have looked inviting for Marlon Mendez, 28, Rudy Perez, 31, and Jose Yanes, 52, because, according to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, all three men took to the river for a swim.
That was the last anyone saw of them until their bodies were found the next day, all drowned in a repeat tragedy that occurs often on the Mississippi River.
This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.
Topics
Mississippi River Drowning Subscriber OnlyAre you enjoying your subscription?
Your subscription gives you unlimited access to all of The Daily Memphian’s news, written by nearly 40 local journalists and more than 20 regular freelancers. We work around the clock to cover the issues that impact your life and our community.
You can help us reach more Memphians.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we provide free news access at K-12 schools, public libraries and many community organizations. We also reach tens of thousands of people through our podcasts, and through our radio and television partnerships – all completely free to everyone who cares about Memphis.
When you subscribe, you get full access to our news. But when you donate, you help us reach all Memphians.
Pay it forward. Make a fully tax-deductible donation to The Daily Memphian today.
Thank you for reading the local news. Thank you for investing in our community.
Jody Callahan
Jody Callahan graduated with degrees in journalism and economics from what is now known as the University of Memphis. He has covered news in Memphis for more than 25 years.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.