Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler says he has identified a migrant worker who accidentally drowned in a Gaffney motel pool in July. Fowler identified the victim as 29 year old Jose’ Roberto “Beto” Rivera of Wauchula, Fla. Fowler said an uncle of the victim recognized the victim’s photo that appeared in an Aug. 1 advertisement placed in Honduras newspaper by he and the Honduran Counsel.

“With no identification on his person and none in his belongings, I had to start at ground zero and that meant all the way to his native land,” Fowler said.

Fowler said Jimy Rivera Jose’ Peralta of Tegucigaipa, Central District, Honduras said he had not heard from his nephew for several months since he left Florida in late June to work in South Carolina. Peralta told the coroner Rivera’s parents perished in Hurricane Mitch on Oct. 30, 1998 when the storm struck Honduras. A short time later, Rivera imigrated to Florida, Fowler said.

Rivera had been staying with co-workers who were working on a local tomato farm at the Homestead Lodge located on Peachoid Road in Gaffney when he was found face down floating in the motel’s pool about 5:20 p.m. on July 9.

Another guest pulled Rivera from the water and began CPR. The victim was transported to Upstate Carolina Medical Center where he was pronounced dead following futile resuscitation efforts.

The coroner contacted representatives of the Honduran and Guatemalan counsels who assisted with getting an ad in the Latin American newspapers. He also circulated fliers with the victim’s photo to local media and area motels and businesses in an effort to find someone the victim.

Fowler said Sunday he is currently working with the Honduran Counsel on the return of Rivera’s remains to his native land.

Fowler said Rivera was picked up by a group of migrant workers while walking on the interstate between Georgia and South Carolina and brought to Gaffney to work on the tomato farm. .