After searching Thursday evening and early Friday morning, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office said first responders recovered the body of a drowned fisherman just south of Jordan Lake.

The sheriff’s office issued an alert on Thursday saying search and rescue was dispatched to find a 21-year-old Hispanic man — later identified as Nestor Margarito Ramirez Menjivar of Fayetteville — who fell into the water around 6 p.m. Menjivar was fishing on the rocks below the B. Everett Jordan Dam, which is north of Moncure, when lost his footing, fell into the Haw River and was carried away by the current according to witnesses. Chatham County emergency responders immediately began search efforts, according to Thursday’s release, but were unsuccessful before being suspended for the night.

After search operations restarted Friday morning, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office said a drone located Menjivar’s body and he was pulled from the water just before 8 a.m.

“This is a heartbreaking outcome, and our deepest sympathies are with the Menjivar family,” said Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson. “We are grateful to the emergency responders and partner agencies who worked very hard to bring him home.”

The drowning marks the first reported around Jordan Lake so far in 2025, after last summer resulted in three — all of which were in the northern part of the lake compared to the B. Everett Jordan Dam.

The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office credited several other emergency services groups for helping in Thursday and Friday’s search and recovery efforts for Menjivar. Friday’s update thanked the Moncure Fire Department, Chatham County Emergency Management, Chatham County Emergency Communications, Army Corps of Engineers, FirstHealth EMS, Cape Fear Fire Department, Chatham County Medical Examiner’s Office, N.C. Highway Patrol, and Lee County Emergency Management for assisting.

Among the water safety recommendations law enforcement shared, carefully navigating the area below dams is critical because of their slippery and uneven surfaces. People are encouraged to “exercise extreme caution near all waterways and to wear a life jacket when fishing, boating, or wading near currents,” said the sheriff’s office.

 

Featured image via Chatham County Sheriff’s Office

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