Man drowns in man-made lake outside NFL stadium in second fatal incident since venue opened

Man drowns in man-made lake outside NFL stadium in second fatal incident since venue opened

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Stuart Ballard

By Stuart Ballard


Published: 05/02/2024

- 07:57

The 15-foot-deep lake outside SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles was built in 2020.

A 19-year-old man has died after drowning in the lake outside of the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

He was reportedly seen by SoFi Stadium security officials entering the lake on Friday around 9.30pm local time.


But the unidentified man never resurfaced above the water with a rescue team soon dispatched to search the lake.

Inglewood Police Lt. Cilia Islas told the Los Angeles Times that the dive team found the man's body shortly before 11pm.

A man has died after drowning in the lake outside SoFi Stadium

A man has died after drowning in the lake outside SoFi Stadium

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They attempted CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

“It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of an individual last evening,” a statement from SoFi Stadium read.

“Our deepest condolences go out to the individual’s family and friends for their loss. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.”

Police said an investigation has now been launched into the man's death with Islas describing the incident as an accidental drowning.

Electronic musician Illenium was performing at the SoFi Stadium on Friday night when the man jumped into the lake.

The show ended at around 11pm but it isn't known whether he was an attendee of the event.

It's the second time a person has died in the man-made water feature outside the home of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Chargers since it opened in 2020.

A 45-year-old man died after jumping into the lake in 2022 after reportedly jumping into the water in the early hours of the morning.

The stadium is the home of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Chargers

The stadium is the home of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Chargers

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Stadium security were said to have seen the man hop a fence to access the parking lot of the stadium and immediately called the police.

The man was seen swimming to the centre of the lake but never resurfaced before a dive team recovered his body three hours later.

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The venue was built in 2020

The venue was built in 2020

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The lake around the SoFi Stadium holds around 11 million galons of water anf features multiple waterfalls.

The man-made water feature is dubbed 'Rivers Lake' after Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who sits sixth on the list for all-time passing yardage in NFL history.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 4,000 people die from drowning in the US every year - an average of 11 every day.

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