Man's Body Recovered From Falls Lake After Hours-Long Search

A three-hour search of Falls Lake ended Saturday afternoon when deputies recovered the body of a man who had gone underwater while fishing near the Cheek Road bridge and never resurfaced, the Wake County Sheriff's Office said.

The victim's brother identified him as 30-year-old Pablo Reyes Perdomo, who leaves behind a wife and young daughter in Honduras. The brother told ABC11 that the two were fishing near the shore when their net got caught and Pablo fell into the water.

Deputies received the call around 1:20 p.m. Saturday. After an hours-long search, the body was found approximately 50 yards from shore in about 4 feet of water, according to the sheriff's office. Witnesses at the scene told deputies the man had been fishing, went underwater and never resurfaced.

The Wake County Sheriff's Office confirmed this is the first drowning at Falls Lake in 2026 that the office has responded to. The agency is investigating the death as a possible drowning, pending further findings.

Falls Lake has been the site of multiple water fatalities and rescues over the years, including a drowning after a canoe flip, a boating crash that triggered a 30-hour search, and concurrent drownings at Falls Lake and Kerr Lake within a two-day span. Each of those incidents involved separate responses from WCSO and local fire departments.

The Cheek Road bridge area sits along the northern edge of Falls Lake, a reservoir that draws anglers, boaters and swimmers from across the Triangle. Saturday's conditions drew no immediate public warning from WCSO or Wake County parks officials, though the investigation remains open.

The sheriff's office said the man's identity would be formally released after family notification was completed.