Authorities announced Monday that they have suspended the search for a missing San Jose man who was in a boat that capsized on Hell Hole Reservoir Thursday night.

Peter Flores, 50, was last seen around 9 p.m. Thursday when the small fishing boat he was in with his son and another friend capsized in the frigid waters of the mountain reservoir located about 65 miles east of Auburn. The son and friend were able to make it to shore and were found by a boater Friday morning. Flores was believed to have attempted to swim to shore.

Friday, Placer County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteers, with assistance from fire crews from El Dorado National Forest, were able to determine that Flores was not on the shoreline. Placer County Water Agency, which operates Hell Hole, also assisted with their boat and made their facilities available to searchers overnight.

Saturday, the effort turned from rescue to recovery. Marine Units from the Nevada and Yuba county sheriff departments assisted the Placer County Sheriff’s Marine Unit. Using search boats, underwater search equipment and divers, they were unable to locate Flores’ body. It was determined that the reservoir’s rocky, rugged bottom would make it futile to continue the search.

The search was suspended Saturday night.

- Staff report