Authorities on Thursday confirmed a drowning incident at Folsom Lake on Aug. 1 involving a Sacramento City College professor.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said the victim was identified as Tanya Rodriguez, 49, who had drowned at Beals Point on Folsom Lake, SFGate reported.
The incident is being investigated by California State Parks.
According to CBS Sacramento, Rodriguez’s young nephew was on the site when the drowning happened.
“That child was found later kind of wandering in the park by some passerby’s, and they guided him up to the entrance station when they couldn’t locate his guardians,” said California State Park Superintendent Richard Preston-LeMay to CBS.
Based on her curriculum vitae, the victim has previously worked in New York as an assistant professor at John Jay College. In 2007, she gained her Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Minnesota. Her dissertation bears the title: “Empathy at the Intersection.”
The Sacramento City College expressed its sorrow for her loss.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that philosophy faculty member Tanya Rodriguez has passed away,” it said through a Facebook post Monday.
According to the college, the victim was part of the faculty in August 2015 and served for “six years inspiring students with her love of philosophy and wonderful sense of humor.”
“She was a bright presence on our campus and we will all feel the loss of such a vibrant soul,” the post said.
