OC Health Care Agency officials are moving forward with a large party honoring staff who helped with the coronavirus response, after a man’s body was found hours before the party in a lake next door.
The body was discovered around 11 a.m. in Mile Square Park’s North Lake near Euclid and Edinger, and the man’s identity wasn’t yet known as of Friday afternoon, said Carrie Braun, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
As of 2 p.m., sheriff officials were on site conducting the investigation, Braun said.
The lake was closed off by yellow tape, according to a photo reviewed by Voice of OC.
Starting at 3 p.m., county officials planned to hold a major appreciation cookout for coronavirus workers next to the lake at the park’s Freedom Hall. It’s meant for all employees at the county and other agencies who assisted with coronavirus response.
In response to questions from Voice of OC, county Health Care Agency officials said they planned to continue with the event at Freedom Hall.
“The event is still going forward. They are making a few placement adjustments but moving forward,” said Julie MacDonald, a spokeswoman for the Health Care Agency.
Asked what the “placement adjustments” are, MacDonald said she believes it’s “outside table placement.”
Nick Gerda covers county government for Voice of OC. You can contact him at ngerda@voiceofoc.org.