Patterson Cemetery District, Stanislaus County, CA 

Submitted by Gale Stroud and Burta Herger 26 Aug 2007

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Oum Chang 890620 p2
16-year Old Drowns in S.J. River; Mountain View firemen rescued a Cambodian boy from a log in the San Joaquin River
Saturday afternoon, but a 16 year-old companion drowned. Stanislaus county Sheriff's drivers searched for the body near
the Crows Landing bridge in a spot where three other Indochinese men said he went under. The drowning victim was
identified as Chang Oum, 16 of Modesto. He was the brother of 18-year old Chhim Oum of Modesto, who was also
swimming in the river. Another teenager, Nheng Teth, 15, was in a state of exhaustion after being rescued.  He was taken
by Medi-Flight to North Memorial Hospital. Deputy William Harper said that at 4:10 pm the four Indochinese males
started across the river, from the north to south bank, near the Turlock Fisherman's Club. The 16 year old boy was
floating on a board and apparently was sucked under by the current. The others, clinging to an old tire, tried to help.
Savoeum Kboy, 25 of Modesto, said he grabbed the boy's arm but lost grip.  Oum made it back to shore and ran to get
help at the nearby sports club. Mountain View firemen used a boat with a small outboard motor to rescue the 15 year old,
who clung to a log near the south bank.  One firemen, arriving on the south bank, said he sank in mud nearby to his waist
when he stepped into the water to offer help.  Firemen in the boat used a pole to probe beneath the silty waters where the
companions indicated the boy had gone under. They were throwing clods trying to indicate where he was said Chief
Larry Turner of Mountain View before divers arrived.  "If he's not hung up, he could be halfway to Patterson by now."
Fireman said they pulled belongings, including an air rifle, from the floating tire, which then slipped downstream. Harper
speculated the men were grubbing for clams and other game.  He said from what the men told him, the drowning victim
was a non-swimmer. He said despite frequent warnings, Indochinese immigrants who live in the area don't heed the
river's dangers.