Man drowns in Armstrong Lake near Arlington

Published 2:30 pm Monday, August 27, 2007

ARLINGTON — A Bellingham man, 56, apparently drowned this morning in Armstrong Lake, officials said.

Police divers found the man’s body at about 1:30 p.m. after a lengthy search, Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.

The man apparently was launching a boat when it got away from him, she said. Deputies believe the man went into the water after the boat.

A neighbor called 911 just after 8 a.m. to report someone yelling for help on the lake, she said.

Deputies arrived and found an empty boat in the middle of the lake and a pickup truck, still running, at the boat ramp.

Dive teams searched the lake’s murky waters and recovered the man about 100 yards from the boat ramp, Hover said. He was not wearing a life jacket.

The man’s identity was not released.

Armstrong Lake, north of Arlington off Highway 9, is a popular fishing area.