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.
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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.
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