Benjy Egel
benjyegel.md@gmail.com
UPDATE July 4
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Wednesday that Stefan Wagner’s body was found on June 28 at Montaña de Oro State Park.
Wagner’s body was found in the water by people walking in the area, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune. An autopsy will be performed, and a toxicology report is expected to take three to four weeks.
Original story
Biomedical engineering rising senior Stefan Wagner was officially declared dead Friday after disappearing into the waters of Montaña de Oro State Park one day earlier, Cal Poly administrators wrote in an email to campus Saturday.
Wagner dove into Spooner’s Cove — where currents twist and turn among crashing waves — against the wishes of his friends, The San Luis Obispo Tribune reported. When he failed to resurface, his friends called 911.
A number of units, including the San Luis Obispo County Search and Recovery Team, the San Luis Obispo County Fire Department and the Port San Luis Harbor Patrol searched for Wagner, but were unable to find him.
As The Tribune reported, Wagner was from Fresno, where he played high school water polo, and came from a family of swimmers. The Tribune also noted that former Cal Poly student Enrique Jimenez died at the same spot in 2006.
It is unclear whether Wagner was under the influence of drugs or alcohol when he dove in, according to The Tribune. No memorial service or vigil has been established, Cal Poly spokesperson Matt Lazier said.
University President Jeffrey Armstrong and Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Humphrey notified students of Wagner’s death in an email Saturday morning. The email said Cal Poly Health and Counseling Services is available to students during the summer, and it can also help students locate counseling near their hometowns.
“We’ll be here for you throughout June, July, and August,” Armstrong and Humphrey wrote, “and we look forward to bringing the Cal Poly community together again in September.”