PLACERVILLE -- The El Dorado County Sheriff's Department is investigating the death of a Shingle Springs man who was found beneath a rock in the South Fork of the American River on Tuesday.

Larry Locken, 64, had been dredging with another man along the South Fork of the American River north of Lotus Park on Monday. When he failed to go home that night, his wife called friends in an effort to locate him.

"Larry Locken and I have this love for gold dredging," said friend Fred Nelson, 56, of Shingle Springs. "Yesterday, Larry put his dredge in here and had just moved from another river over to this river. He was just getting his dredge in the water, getting all set up with his equipment and his ropes and all that. His plan was to come down early this morning and start dredging on our gold mining claim here."

Nelson said he got a call from Locken's wife Tuesday morning saying Locken hadn't returned home. Nelson then called friends and returned to the area to search.

Locken's body, in a bag, lay by the water's edge. In addition to Locken's friends, two deputies, the search-and-rescue unit and swift water recovery team from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department joined in the search.

Search volunteer Bob Bover, 57, of Placerville, said they had been searching since about 8:30 a.m. and a kayaker found Locken under a rock upstream.

"They're not sure if he hit his head or something happened medically, said Lt. Kevin House. "It's still under investigation."

-- By Charlotte Sanchez-Kosa (Mountain Democrat)