Rugby player, 28, dies after getting sucked into whirlpool while cooling off from heat wave in California river

A rugby player died after being sucked into a whirlpool as he tried to cool off in the blistering heat wave. 

Nasoni 'Toni' Tuitoga, 28, of Santa Rosa, went missing on Wednesday after going for a swim with friends in California's Russian River. 

Before getting in the water, Toni made a chilling post on Facebook that read: 'Rivering,' with laughing and crying emojis. The post is now filled with heartfelt tributes for him. 

Toni, a member of the Santa Rosa Rugby Club, never made it out as his desperate friends watched him go in circles as the strong currents pulled him under. 

He is one of multiple people that have drowned in the state as three others were found lifeless in rivers over the past week. 

Tributes have since poured in for the athlete. His heartbroken mother recalled the moment police came to her door and told her that her youngest son had died.  

'They put his cellphone on the table and then I just started crying. I knew,' Lavenia Cavora Tuinaceva Tuitoga told KTVU. 

'I’m going to miss him so much, his smile,' she added. 

'I just keep on asking God to give us peace in our hearts.' 

Toni's friend Joe Quaihoi called 911 around 6.17pm on Wednesday and reported he had disappeared in the river near Villa Grande. 

 Quaihoi said: 'The crazy part was we were like yelling out at him when we saw him swimming around in circles like, "Hey, you ok?" and he never really said anything back until he just disappeared under the water.'

Quaihoi and Toni's other friends joined the Sonoma County Sheriff's Marine Unit, Sonoma County Sheriff Volunteer Dive Team and the Monte Rio Fire Protection District who were working to find him. 

Search crews found his body on Friday, washed up about 30-40ft from where he was last seen. 

The Santa Rosa Rugby Club also paid tribute to Toni on Saturday with a post of him smiling on the field. 

'It’s a sad day in our rugby community. We lost one of our players this week, Tony (Nasoni Tuitoga Jr) and our team won’t be the same without his energy. 

'Our condolence and prayers go out to his family and loved ones,' the club said. 

Others commented on the sudden loss of a man who seemed to impact many in his life. 

One said: 'Always a great smile and laughter!' 

'RIP my brotha,' another wrote. 

Just a day after Toni was found, another man, 51-year-old Pedro Ramirez Lopez, drowned at Monte Rio Beach, located near the Russian River. 

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office were called around 6.40pm and when officials arrived, bystanders were performing CPR on Lopez, who died at the scene. 

'Multiple people have died in the Russian River in 2024,' the sheriff's office said. 

'While it looks calm on the surface, the river can have strong currents, deep spots and drop-offs, and underwater debris.

'We urge everyone to practice water safety when they visit our beautiful river.' 

On Tuesday, another man drowned in the Modesto Reservoir, about three hours from the Russian River. 

A 15-year-old boy was killed in a similar drowning in April as he and a friend were swept away in surging currents. The teen's friend managed to escape, Sfist reported. 

When caught in rough currents or a whirlpool, officials recommend that swimmers paddle in the direction its going in, and not to fight it.

Although California and most of the county have already been hit with scorching weather, states are expected to set higher daily record temperatures this week. 

Many people have died or been seriously injured in the hot weather, as an infant died while on a boat with her family in Arizona on Friday. 

A motorcyclist died on Saturday in Death Valley from heat exposure, the Death Valley National Park said.