Foul play not suspected in Medford man’s drowning at the Breakheart Reservation in Saugus

By Melissa M. Werthmann, Globe Correspondent

Officials do not suspect foul play in the drowning of a Medford man Sunday night at the Breakheart Reservation in Saugus.

Luis C. Espinoza, 34, was pronounced dead at Wakefield-Melrose Hospital after he apparently drowned at Pearce Lake, according to Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett’s office.

Espinoza was at the pond around 7 p.m. when two of his friends swam from a large rock to another rock in the center of the water, about 50 to 75 yards away, officials said in a statement.

Espinoza jumped in the pond and started to swim toward his friends, but had trouble and went under the water.

His friends attempted to swim to him, but they got tired and had to turn around, officials said.

The swimmers called 911 and officials from the Saugus Fire Department and Saugus EMS were dispatched at 7:07 p.m.

A jogger spotted the victim and jumped in the pond to help firefighters pull Espinoza from the water, which was about eight feet deep, officials said.

An autopsy will be conducted today at the state medical examiner’s office in Boston, officials said.

In Western Massachusetts, Orlando Burgos, 49, of Westfield, also drowned after his canoe capsized on the Upper Highland Lake in Goshen on Saturday night, according to the office of Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan.

Burgos was with two people, who made it safely to shore, officials said.

State Police and Environmental Police found Burgos’s body after searching the water for nearly three hours using divers and a helicopter, officials said in a statement.