Folsom Lake Drowning Victim Identified As Sacramento City College Professor

FOLSOM (CBS13) — The woman who drowned last weekend in Folsom Lake was identified as a Sacramento City College professor.

Tanya Rodriguez, 49 (credit: Los Rios Community College District)

Tanya Rodriguez, 49, of Sacramento, was at the lake with her 6-year-old nephew when she went into the lake and never resurfaced. Passerbys helped the boy to the park rangers' station.

Rangers eventually located Rodriguez's body with the help of a California Highway Patrol helicopter.

Rodriguez taught philosophy at Sacramento City College. Her family says she was an avid swimmer and mountain climber.

Her grieving mother says she also loved people.

"It was her goal to have an open heart, and to see everyone with love," Rodriguez's mother said.

Rodriguez started teaching at SCC six years ago after stops in Minnesota and New York. She was known to her students as "Dr. T." Online student reviews describe her as funny, creative and interesting.

She had moved to Sacramento to be close to her family.

Rodriguez was camping with her nephew along the lake the night before the drowning. It happened in the Beals Point Recreation Area of Folsom Lake, far from the designated swimming area, where the water is dried up.

She was not wearing a life jacket. Her family does not know what went wrong when she went under the water.

"I've struggled with it a lot, but you know, we just don't know?" her mother said.

The family is preparing a memorial service for her later this month.