UPDATE, 7 a.m., Aug. 2: The drowning victim pulled from the waters of Lake Washington off Kirkland's O.O. Denny Park Wednesday night was 54 years old, according to Kirkland Police, and one of two people helped to shore by police divers was the victim's wife. She and the other person helped ashore, a bystander, were attempting to help the man who drowned.
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UPDATE, 10:40 p.m., Aug. 1: Kirkland Police say a man in his 40s to 50s drowned in Lake Washington off Kirkland’s Wednesday evening during a family outing. Dive and marine patrol teams from Kirkland, Mercer Island, Seattle and King County police recovered the man’s body just after 10 p.m.
“He was at some type of family activity and might have simply gone after a ball in the water to retrieve it,” said Kirkland Police spokesman Sgt. Rob Saloum. “He had some difficulty and went under. Either family or bystanders went in to rescue him, but he had gone down too deep. Rescue crews helped some of those people out of the water.”
Few details were available late Wednesday night. Kirkland Patch will update the story as more information becomes available.
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UPDATE: 10:30 p.m., Aug. 1: King County police are reporting that a “male drowning victim” was pulled from the waters of Lake Washington off Kirkland’s O.O. Denny Park just after 10 p.m. Wednesday night. Kirkland Firefighters also reported in a Twitter post about that time that “Patient being removed from the water, 4 KFD swimmers bringing him out. Medical Group standing by to evaluate patient.” The King County Sheriff's office also tweeted that the recovery was made by Kirkland, Mercer Island, Seattle and King County police teams.
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Original story:
Divers for the Kirkland Fire Department and King County were searching for at least one missing person in Lake Washington off O.O. Denny Park Wednesday evening.
Kirkland Police had both sides of the lakeside park on Holmes Point Drive blocked and were turning away motorists. Several aid cars, fire engines, ladder trucks and police squad cars filled the park beginning at about 8:40 p.m.
Police scanner traffic indicated that at least one "civilian" and perhaps two had made it ashore, possibly from a boat or some small craft. An Officer Jameson at the scene said at least one person was missing.
He was turning away traffic at the north side of the park, advising one motorist, "We're looking for someone in the water. A rescue operation is underway."
At least one police boat with its lights flashing bobbed offshore in the operation.
Kirkland Patch will update this story as details become available.
He and his family are in my prayers.