Crime & Safety
Man Who Drowned Off Kirkland Park Identified as Kenmore Resident
David Ulm, 54, had been enjoying a family outing Wednesday evening at the beach when he went into Lake Washington to retrieve a ball, struggled and went under.
The man who drowned in Lake Washington off Kirkland’s O.O. Denny Park during a family outing Wednesday night has been identified as 54-year-old David Ulm.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Ulm died of freshwater asphyxia, or drowning. Kirkland Police spokesman Sgt. Rob Saloum said Ulm was from “the Kenmore area.”
Police and firefighters were called just before 9 p.m. Wednesday night to Denny Park on Holmes Point Drive in the Finn Hill area and found two people in the water searching for Ulm. One was his wife and the other a bystander, and a Kirkland Fire Department dive team helped them ashore.
Marine and dive teams from Seattle, King County and Mercer Island joined Kirkland firefighters, and a Mercer Island dive team recovered Ulm’s body just after 9 p.m.
Saloum said Ulm had gone into the lake to retrieve an errant ball and then had difficulty swimming and went under. His wife and the bystander then tried to help him.
A reader that she had seen the family enjoying the beach and sunset just before the accident.
"Just before 9:00 pm, we walked by the family on the way to our car and they were having a good time," the reader said. "It was a beautiful evening and lovely sunset. I was so sad to hear this news when we returned home."
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