Tahoe death ruled accidental

Share this: Email | Facebook | X

STATELINE - A Stateline man who was found dead at Ski Run Marina last week likely accidentally drowned, El Dorado County Deputy Coroner Larry Olsen said Thursday.

An autopsy on the body of Roy Ricord, 31, did not reveal any signs of trauma, and foul play has been ruled out as a cause of death, Olsen said.

Ricord's death was not witnessed, and exactly how Ricord came to be in the water is unknown, Olsen said.

Toxicology results are pending, but are unlikely to change the suspected manner of death, Olsen said.

"If the toxicology came back with some type of an intoxicant, that would still lend to the accidental death," Olsen said.

Police were unable to immediately identify Ricord's body which was found by a boater Sept. 17 about 10 feet under the lake's surface near the Tahoe Queen paddlewheeler.

It will likely be a "couple of months" before toxicology results in the Ricord case are complete, but the exact circumstances surrounding Ricord's death may never be known, Olsen said.