The body of a woman was found floating in a lagoon in Carlsbad Wednesday morning, officials confirmed.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner's (ME) office said the body of 50-year-old Gwen DeValliere, a married Carlsbad resident, was discovered by a paddle boarder in the Agua Hedionda Lagoon. Her cause of death has not been determined.
According to the Carlsbad Police Department, officers received a report of a body just after 9 a.m., near the 4700 block of Bayshore Drive.
The Carlsbad Fire Department and California State Lifeguards searched the lagoon, which is located in the 4600 block of Park Drive, between Bruce Road and Cove Drive, nestled within a residential area.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department also helped in the search via air, using the department's ASTREA helicopter.
At 9:40 a.m., the search team found DeValliere's body in the water. As of 10:40 a.m., crews were working to recover the body from the lagoon. By 11:40 a.m., officials had pulled DeValliere from the water and onto a dock, and could be seen wheeling her to a vehicle.
The ME's office said DeValliere lived alone at a Carlsbad apartment complex.
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There is a recreational boat rental area on the lagoon, but the facility was closed Wednesday, so there were very few boats in the water at the time of the grisly discovery.
The lagoon is used daily by many residents and visitors alike, many of whom were surprised to hear the news of the woman found floating in the water.
Kyle Perry told NBC 7 he grew up in the neighborhood and was downright shocked.
“It’s really strange,” said Perry. “I’ve never heard of anything like that – it’s just crazy to me.”
