Juan Patino, 39, was recovered Friday after crews searched an industrial water digester at National Raisin Company.
FOWLER, CA — A 39-year-old National Raisin Company employee was found dead Friday morning inside an industrial water digester at the company’s Fowler facility after he went missing during a Thursday shift, police said.
Juan Patino, of Fowler, was last seen while working in a treatment area of the plant, where he had been assigned to remove rainwater from a tarp covering a digester. His death drew a large emergency response, including Fowler police, fire crews, workplace safety officials and a specialized dive team brought in from Utah.
Fowler police said the search began after co-workers reported Patino missing Thursday afternoon. He had last been seen around 1:10 p.m. in the treatment area, where he was actively pumping rainwater off a tarp. Police were called around 2:30 p.m. after employees could not reach him and found signs that he had not left the work site. Fowler Police Chief Greg Gularte said Patino’s work vehicle remained near the area, his hard hat was still at the scene and a tear was found in the canvas cover of the digester. “A hard helmet and cart was left in place but no visual of Juan,” Gularte said. Emergency radio traffic also reflected the early concern that a worker may have fallen into the digester.
The recovery required special equipment because of the conditions inside the industrial pond, officials said. Gularte said the digester contained highly caustic chemicals, making it unsafe for standard rescue crews to enter. A hazardous materials dive team from Salt Lake City, identified in reports as Potable Divers, was called to the facility and arrived before crews began preparing Friday morning. The team had worked at the facility before, officials said. When divers reached the area, Patino’s body had floated to the surface, but crews still needed specialized gear to safely recover him. His body was retrieved around 10 to 10:30 a.m. Friday. Police said identification found on him helped confirm who he was.
The incident brought at least 50 responders to the scene, including Fowler police, Cal Fire, Cal/OSHA, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and the Environmental Health Department, according to officials. The search began as a rescue effort, then shifted to a recovery after crews located Patino. The cause and manner of death had not been determined as of Friday, and officials did not say exactly how Patino entered the digester. Investigators were reviewing the work area, the torn tarp, employee accounts and the equipment Patino had been using. Authorities also had not said whether any mechanical failure, safety barrier issue or other workplace condition contributed to the incident.
National Raisin Company said the death was a painful loss for the Fowler facility and the wider organization. CEO Joe Leon said the company was “deeply saddened” and called the incident heartbreaking. “Our employees are like family,” Leon said. “The loss of one of our own is felt profoundly across our company, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, loved ones, and all those impacted during this incredibly difficult time.” Leon said the company was cooperating with authorities and would not release more details while the investigation continued. The company said employee safety and well-being remained a priority as officials reviewed what happened.
The case now moves through workplace and law enforcement reviews. Cal/OSHA, California’s workplace safety agency, was among the agencies involved in the response and is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding Patino’s death. Such reviews can include interviews, inspections of the work area, equipment checks and a look at safety procedures in place at the time. Fowler police also continued to document the incident and the recovery. No charges or enforcement actions had been announced Friday. Officials had not released a date for any final report or public findings.
Outside the facility, family members, co-workers and friends waited as crews worked through the hazardous recovery. Gularte described the loss as painful for many people connected to Patino and the plant. “It’s a traumatic event, traumatic for the business, their co-workers, traumatic for the family that’s lost a loved one,” he said. One Fowler man, who said he had a loved one working for the company, said the news was hard to understand even for people who did not know Patino personally. “I was shocked,” he said. “It’s just crazy. Out of nowhere, you are at work and the next day something happens.”
By Friday evening, Patino had been recovered and identified, but key questions remained open. Investigators had not released a cause of death or a final account of how he entered the digester. Cal/OSHA and local authorities continued their reviews.
Author note: Last updated April 25, 2026.