MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. — The Mount Holly Police Department confirmed that a man who went swimming in the Catawba River has drowned. It comes after multiple fire departments and search crews spent hours searching for him.
Mount Holly officers responded to the area of 400 Mountain Island Road shortly before 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Witnesses told officers that the victim, 22-year-old Nelson Omar Hernandez Bonilla, and another person were swimming around 50 feet off the bank when the victim went under.
The witness told Mount Holly police that Bonilla never resurfaced.
After a search of the area spanning multiple hours, the victim's body was recovered. Bonilla was declared dead at the scene.
According to officials, Bonilla is from Columbus, Ohio and had been working in Charlotte, NC. The victim was not wearing a life preserver. There did not appear to be foul play involved. There was no indication that alcohol was a factor, however, any determination regarding contributing factors or medical issues is pending toxicology reports from the Medical Examiner.
Several agencies helped with the search, including Mount Holly Fire, Gaston County Police, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
The search for the 22-year-old was one of two known water-incidents in the Mecklenburg County area on Sunday.
The Huntersville Fire Department also responded to an incident Sunday afternoon on Lake Norman involving a person with a "traumatic injury" on the lake. Huntersville Fire said the person involved fractured a lower limb and was transported for medical attention.
Several agencies, including Cornelius Police and Fire, Huntersville Fire and Mecklenburg EMS responded to that scene.