Authorities said Juan Patino went missing during a Thursday shift at National Raisin Company.
FOWLER, Calif. — A 39-year-old National Raisin Company employee was found dead Friday inside an industrial water digester at the company’s Fowler facility after he disappeared during a Thursday shift, police said.
Juan Patino, of Fowler, was last seen in a treatment area of the plant, where he had been assigned to pump rainwater from a tarp covering the digester. His death drew a large emergency response and opened workplace and law enforcement investigations into how he entered the covered basin. Officials said the exact cause and manner of death had not been released pending further review.
Fowler police said the search began Thursday afternoon after co-workers reported that Patino had not been heard from since about 2:30 p.m. Fowler Police Chief Greg Gularte said Patino had last been seen around 1:10 p.m. near the treatment area. Employees searched the plant after he did not check out from work. They found that his work vehicle had not moved, his hard hat and work cart were still near the assigned area, and a tear was visible in the canvas cover over the water digester. Emergency radio traffic first described the call as a rescue for an employee who may have fallen into a digester. “A hard helmet and cart was left in place but no visual of Juan,” Gularte said.
Officers searched the facility and nearby areas, then contacted Patino’s family as they tried to account for him. The search later focused on the covered industrial pond because evidence near the digester showed he had been working there before he vanished. Officials said the recovery was delayed because the digester held hazardous material that standard rescue crews could not safely enter. Gularte said the basin contained highly caustic chemicals and sludge, requiring specialized divers and equipment. A commercial dive team from Utah was called to the facility. Officials said the team had worked at the facility before and was familiar with the type of conditions crews faced. Firefighters, police, sheriff’s deputies, environmental health workers and workplace safety officials were among those who responded.
When crews returned to the digester Friday, Patino’s body had floated to the surface, Gularte said. Divers still had to use specialized gear to reach him safely. Officials said the body was recovered between about 10 and 10:30 a.m. Identification found with Patino helped confirm who he was. At least 50 responders were involved in the search and recovery, officials said. Agencies at or connected to the scene included the Fowler Police Department, Cal Fire, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Cal/OSHA and the Environmental Health Department. The case was being treated as an industrial accident while investigators reviewed the work site, equipment, employee accounts and the torn tarp over the digester.
Authorities had not said whether Patino drowned, suffered chemical exposure, was injured in a fall or died from another cause. They also had not said whether any safety barrier, mechanical issue or work procedure contributed to his death. National Raisin Company is based in Fowler and describes itself as a dried fruit supplier that grows, processes, packages and delivers raisins and other dried fruit products. The company’s facility sits in Fresno County, where raisin and dried fruit processing remain part of the region’s agricultural economy. Industrial digesters and treatment ponds can create hazards because they may contain water, sludge, chemicals and gases. Officials did not release the depth of the basin or details about its cover.
National Raisin Company President and CEO Joe Leon said the death was a painful loss for the Fowler facility and the wider company. “This is a heartbreaking loss for our entire organization,” Leon said in a statement. “Our employees are like family.” Leon said the company was cooperating with authorities and would not release more details while the investigation continued. He said the company was focused on supporting employees and honoring Patino’s memory. A Fowler man who did not know Patino personally but had a loved one working for the company said the news was difficult to take in. “I was shocked,” the man said. “It’s just crazy.”
The next steps are expected to include an autopsy and a workplace safety review. Cal/OSHA investigations can examine training, equipment, job assignments, site controls and whether workplace safety rules were followed. No charges, citations or enforcement actions had been announced in the public record as of Friday. Police said the exact sequence of events remained under review, including whether Patino fell, became trapped or entered the digester in another way.
As of April 25, officials had confirmed Patino’s recovery but had not released a final cause of death. The investigation remained open, with police, workplace safety officials and the company reviewing the fatal incident.
Author note: Last updated April 25, 2026.