UPDATE: On August 6, at 1312 hours the body of a 34 year old male was recovered by divers in Mountain Lake. Earlier today divers from Whatcom County came over to Orcas to assist with the search. The deceased male was not a resident of San Juan County.
— from Kim Kimple for Orcas Island Fire and Rescue —
Orcas Island Fire and Rescue (OIFR) crews were dispatched at 6:28 p.m. on
August 5 to reports of a drowning victim at Mountain Lake in Moran State Park.
The victim, a mid-30’s African American male, was paddle boarding on the lake when he fell off the board. He was last seen struggling in the water, 150 feet offshore approximately fifteen minutes before rescuers arrived on scene. Friends of the victim attempted to assist in locating him while crews were en route.
After an extensive interagency search, including OIFR, Moran State Park
Rangers, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and a diving team, the search was suspended at dark and has resumed in the daylight.
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