Updated: Los Gatos' Lexington Reservoir Double Drowning Victims ID'd

Update: 1 p.m. Monday, May 6: In the wake of Sunday's double drowning at Lexington Reservoir, the public is asking questions about water safety regulations at Lexington Reservoir and other county lakes.

Hilary Williams, president of the Los Gatos Rowing Club, whose private dock was used as a staging area by the numerous emergency response teams that responded, said bodies of water such as Lexington Reservoir are unfortunately often viewed as benign by those unfamiliar with them.

However, she said, Lexington Reservoir has its own micro climate where wind and weather conditions on the water surface can belie conditions in the immediate surrounding area.  

Williams said the LGRC has recently applied to the Santa Clara Valley Water District for permission to install a discreet 33-inch solar-powered weather station at Lexington Reservoir on the Leniham Dam.

The proposal is moving through the review process, she said.

The real-time wind speed and direction data provided by the weather station could be accessed via the Internet by the public at no charge, she added.

"We feel the weather station data would benefit users of Lexington Reservoir and a number of local agencies," she said.

For his part, Santa Clara County Chief Park Ranger Matt Anderson said the four people involved in Sunday's tragedy had access to the reservoir because it was not closed to the public. He said local bodies of water are open year-round and don't shut down unless the water level is too low.

He also said other than to inspect for the zebra and quagga mussels, vessels that enter county lakes are not mandated to be inspected for the required U.S. Coat Guard-approved life vests in kayaks and canoes for each person on board regardless of how long they are.

Signs at the public boat docking station at Lexington tell the public that having the appropriate flotation devices is mandatory, but the requirement is self-monitored, he explained. He also said it's still under investigation where the parties involved launched from. Some boater launch from uncontrolled points by carrying their vessels down to the water without notifying anybody. 

"The inspector there doesn't inspect vessels to see if they're in compliance with what's required. He's only there to inspect the vessel for the zebra mussel and there's no ranger on duty to make sure boaters have all their flotation devices in place," Anderson said.

Peak boating season began April 15 and ends in October.

"Anytime we have a recreational fatality in a county park, it's such a tragedy to the family, the people who survive, the first responders ... It's a very tense situation," Anderson said. "Our reaction is one of empathy, understanding and compassion. We're trying to put the pieces together about what caused this accident."

Lessons learned from the tragedy is that had if the two men who drowned had life jackets on board, they could have been saved. "You don't have to wear them. They just have to be on board," Anderson said. "If the canoe capsizes, there's your flotation device ... in this case they didn't have them, but they could have saved them."

Anderson warned the public to take water seriously and mind the weight capacity for small vessels as well as the mandate to carry one life vest for each passenger. "Go out, have a good time and recreate ... but be prepared to be on that water," he said.

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The two men who drowned Sunday afternoon when their canoe capsized at Lexington Reservoir have been identified by Santa Clara County sheriff's officials as brothers Nicholas Nell, 35, of Scotts Valley and Raymond Nell, 30, of Aptos.

The men's canoe, which was carrying two other people, a 16-year-old girl and a 25-year-old man, overturned shortly after 1 p.m. about 50 yards away from the second boat docking station of Lexington Reservoir at 10000 Alma Bridge Road, according to Santa Clara County sheriff's spokesman deputy Kurtis Stenderup.

When sheriff's deputies arrived on scene, the survivors had reached the shore, but the other two men were missing. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Dive Team was called to the scene to begin searching for the victims.

Nicholas Nell's body was recovered first about 20 feet from the shore at a depth of between 8 and 10 feet within an hour of the boat being reported capsized, Stenderup said. He was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital were he was pronounced dead.

At about 5 p.m., the dive team recovered Raymond Nell's body about 193 feet from the shore at a depth of 38 feet. He, too, was pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Hospital.

Stenderup said sheriff's investigators continue to look into what caused the canoe to overturn. None of the passengers were wearing life vests, according to Stenderup.

On scene Sunday helping with the incident were the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department, the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department, Cal Fire, Santa Clara County Fire Department and Santa Clara County EMS.

ALSO ON LOS GATOS PATCH:

• 2 People Drown During Canoe Accident at Los Gatos' Lexington Reservoir