Mercer Island Man Killed in Wakeboarding Accident on Lake Washington

Nathan Bahner, a 33-year-old Mercer Island man, was killed in a wakeboarding accident on Lake Washington over the weekend, according to the Seattle Police Department.

Bahner was wakeboarding on Lake Washington near Seattle's Seward Park around 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 10 and was being towed toward Mercer Island when the accident occurred, officials said.

Seattle Police Detective Mark Jamieson said the boat towing Bahner pulled him aboard the boat and docked at a residential moorage at 6:07 p.m. and called 911. EMTs arrived minutes later to provide medical aid and a short time later he was pronounced dead.

Because the accident occurred in waters closest to Seattle, a Seattle Police Department traffic collision squad was dispatched to Mercer Island to investigate the accident. They later determined the operator of the boat was intoxicated and arrested him on suspicion of boating under the influence. As of 2 p.m. Monday, no charges have been filed in the case.

"This is still an active and ongoing investigation," Jamieson said.

The King County Medical Examiner's Office said on Monday that the cause of death is also still pending investigation.

Wakeboarding is similar to water skiing, but the rider uses a single board made of lightweight materials.