Contra Costa Co. deputy drowns at Lake Tahoe trying to save friend

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE (KTVU and wires) - A Contra Costa County sheriff's deputy has drowned at South Lake Tahoe while attempting to save his friend who he thought was in distress in the water, the sheriff's office said Thursday night. 

According to the  South Lake Tahoe Police Department, 30-year-old Carlos Francies was at the lake in the area of El Dorado Beach with his girlfriend, sister and another male friend. 

The winds were strong on the lake Thursday, and a high wind warning for Lake Tahoe had been issued.

Francies and his girlfriend were using paddle boards on the lake, while his sister and friend were in kayaks. The type of kayaks they were using allow a person to either stand up or sit. 

Francies saw his sister fall off her kayak from a standing position. Police say he was about 50 yards away from her, while their friend was closer to her. 

Their friend jumped off his kayak, with his paddle in his hand, to help her. His kayak drifted, so as he was swimming back to his kayak with his paddle in his hand, it appeared he was in distress. 

According to police, Francies jumped into the water to swim toward his friend, but about 20 feet from his paddle board he showed signs of distress. 

As he struggled he yelled to his girlfriend, asking her to throw him a life jacket. She tried, but due to a strong wind, it fell far short of Francies.

As she jumped into the water and swam toward him with the life jacket, she saw him starting to sink. 

She was able to give him the life jacket before he sank, but it appeared he was unconscious. 

Someone else in the area came by to help bring Francies to shallow water; then others helped put him on a paddle board. 

His girlfriend, a registered nurse, attempted CPR as they made their way to the shore. Medics arrived to help at the shore, but Francies succumbed to his injuries. 

"Today we lost a dedicated deputy sheriff and member of our family," Contra Costa Sheriff David Livingston said in a statement. "Deputy Carlos Francies died doing what he was sworn to do: putting himself in harms way to protect the lives of others. He is a hero and an example of exactly what is right in law enforcement today."

The sheriff's office is sending a team to Lake Tahoe to gather more information on the incident, which is being investigated by the South Lake Tahoe Police Department. 

Francies was a deputy for 3.5 years and worked at the Martinez jail.