KIRKLAND, Wash. — The King County Sheriff’s Office said they have located and recovered a body Tuesday believed to be of a missing 32-year-old man on Lake Washington.
The body was found 1/4 miles offshore in 145 feet of water.
“All involved hope this development brings family & friends a step closer to healing,” deputies said.
Initial reports indicated that three men had gone into the water near O.O Denny Park in Lake Washington, near Kirkland, after they fell off of an inner tube which was being pulled behind a boat.
King County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Tim Meyer said the agency received a call to assist in a water rescue just before 6 p.m. Sunday evening.
Soon after, a number of crews including King County Sheriff’s Office Marine Rescue Unit, King County Search and Rescue and Kirkland Fire Department (among other assisting agencies), entered the waters as lakegoers watched from the shore.
Meyer said crews were able to locate and recover two of the missing men. They were sent to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
However, a third man, a 32-year-old father of three, was still missing.
Roughly two hours later, King County Sheriff’s Marine Unit switched its efforts from a rescue mission to a recovery operation.
“This is a tough experience, especially on Father’s Day,” Meyer said.
The incident marks the fourth of its kind in Western Washington over the last week.
On Friday, two men drowned at two separate lakes. A paddleboarder drowned at Lake Sammamish, and a man who went under at Lake Tapps was pulled from the water, but later died.
On Wednesday, the body of a father was recovered after he jumped into Lake Washington near Meydenbauer Bay to try and save his daughter after she went overboard.
“These are certainly a somber reminder to us all be safe when we’re on the water,” Meyer continued. “Again, our lakes, our shores, they can be treacherous places we want to keep everyone safe.”
“We cannot overstate the importance of life vests, we may think that we’re confident and capable swimmers, when you’re in that cold water by surprise, all that confidence can fall aside and now you’re at risk.”
King County Sheriff’s continued recovery efforts until sunset Sunday and resumed efforts Monday morning.