Tue, Oct 14 2008
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Published July 22, 2008 01:13 am - Services pending for drowning victim By Donna Hales Phoenix Staff Writer Services are pending for a Mexican immigrant who drowned over the weekend during a church outing on the Illinois River.
The body of Cesar Rodriguez Ortiz, 28, of Muskogee, who drowned Saturday while on an outing on the Illinois River Ranch in Adair County, was recovered Sunday, said a ranger with the Oklahoma Scenic River Commission. Ortiz and a friend, Hosea Garza, jumped off a bluff on the Illinois River Ranch, said OSRC Ranger Stephanie Stephens. Ortiz came up once and was struggling, she said. Garza also came up and was struggling. “A local man dove in and rescued Garza and was going back out to get the victim — but he didn’t surface again,” Stephens said. David Iven, she said he and his wife, Tina, are active in the Hispanic ministry at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Muskogee. Ortiz had not been in Muskogee long but was active in the choir, which was having an outing on the Illinois River Ranch, where the Ivens have a cabin. The drowning happened around 5 p.m. Saturday. Ortiz’ body was recovered about 1:30 p.m. Sunday about 100 yards from where Ortiz went into the water, Stephens said. Christian Cruz, a member of the choir had tried to rescue Ortiz, Iven said. Christian jumped in to help him — but he was in such a state of panic ... then Christian got in trouble,” Iven said. Iven said he had seen many people over the years jump from the bluffs about eight feet into the deep water at the site. “It was a very difficult thing,” he said. “There was no family with Ortiz,” Stephens said. “His mother in Mexico has been notified and is on the way to Oklahoma to recover his body,” Stephens said Monday. Iven said the church has made arrangements for someone from the family to come to Muskogee. There is a large Hispanic presence at the church, usually 200 people come on Sunday nights, he said. Ortiz’ death notice lists him as a construction worker. 
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