MEDINA, Wash. — A man in his 70s has presumably drowned in Lake Washington on Friday evening, according to the Bellevue Fire Department (BFD).
According to BFD, a call went out for a person who had gone underwater off Medina Beach Park and did not surface.
“[The man] was seen going under water and didn’t make it back up. So the fire department came out and our lifeguards were on duty and on the other side of the beach were able to come over and pull the man out of the water and get him to the shore. Firefighters did the best they could,” said Capt. Austin Gildof with the Medina Police Department.
Gildof said waters on Lake Washington can get choppy, but that did not appear to be the case while the man was out on the water.
A nearby kayaker and lifeguard also rushed to help the man when he was in distress.
“Thank you to the quick and dutiful response of our Medina lifeguards, Medina Police Officers and the Bellevue Fire and Medical personnel,” the city of Medina wrote in an e-alert.
Eventually, the man was pulled from the water, unconscious.
BFD said that the man was pronounced dead shortly after.
While his cause of death will be determined by the King County Medical Examiner, it is presumed the man drowned.
According to BFD, the man was not wearing a life jacket.
As we get into temperatures in the high 80s and low 90s this weekend, first responders remind folks to wear a life jacket while on the water, or at least have one per-person on your vessel, be it a boat or kayak or paddleboard.
Don’t own a life jacket? You can use this map to find a Life Jacket Loaner Station near you.
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