Man drowns in Armstrong Lake

Published 11:05 pm Monday, August 27, 2007

ARLINGTON — A boating tragedy early Monday on Armstrong Lake took the life of a Bellingham man, police said.

His body was recovered after a lengthy search. Police believe the man, 56, drowned.

“This is such a sad reminder how quickly something can go wrong,” Snohomish County sheriff’s office spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.

The man apparently was launching a 10-foot boat with an electric motor to go fishing when the boat got away from him and slipped into the lake, Hover said.

The lake, north of Arlington off Highway 9, is a popular fishing area.

Deputies believe the man went into the chilly water after the boat.

A neighbor called 911 at about 8:15 a.m. to report someone yelling for help on the lake, she said.

Deputies arrived and found the boat in the middle of the lake. The man’s pickup truck was at the ramp and was still running, Hover said.

There was no sign of the man.

A Snohomish County sheriff’s search-and-rescue team, along with Everett police divers and rescuers from the Bryant Fire District converged on the scene. A sheriff’s office helicopter looked from above while a dive team prepared to enter the murky waters.

The visibility was so low divers had to conduct the search entirely by touch, Hover said.

Divers found the man about 1:30 p.m. about 100 yards from the boat ramp.

His identity was not released Monday. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner is expected to conduct an autopsy.

He was not wearing a life jacket, Hover said.

“Just because you’re near the water and not in it, doesn’t mean you don’t need a life jacket,” she said. “If there’s any chance you might be going in the water put the jacket on right away, because you’re not going to think about it when an emergency strikes. And by then it might be too late.”

Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.