Cal/OSHA investigate drowning at PGA West

PGA West spokesman Christopher George says Cal Osha is investigating the death of a worker who fell into a golf course pond and drowned Tuesday.

The course also released this statement today:

“With deep regret, we can confirm that a maintenance worker for one of our vendors drowned while clearing weeds from a lake at the Jack Nicklaus Private Course at PGA West. We offer our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones. We have been fully cooperating with local authorities as they conduct their investigation and respectfully request that all further inquiries be directed to the authorities.”

The body of a 45 year-old Jose Juan Vallejo, of Mecca, was pulled from a lake at the PGA West Country Club in La Quinta Tuesday night. The Riverside County Coroner’s Office identified him Wednesday.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Vallejo was a member of a crew working for a private contractor to clean plant material from one of the lakes.

He was in a small rowboat when he fell into the water around 1:55 p.m. Deputies said fellow workers jumped into the water and attempted to save him, but they couldn’t find him.

The Riverside County sheriff’s dive team was able to locate Vallejo’s body just after 8 p.m. Tuesday. The drowning remains under investigation.