Body of Everett woman, 28, recovered from lake near Sultan

Published 1:30 am Sunday, March 31, 2019

SULTAN — The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday recovered the body of a 28-year-old Everett woman who fell over a waterfall at Cedar Ponds, a couple of miles south of here.

Deputies responded just before midnight Saturday to reports of a woman who slipped and fell into the water. The Gold Bar Fire Department and about 35 search-and-rescue volunteers assisted.

Sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Brand said crews were able to determine that she was deceased but couldn’t reach her.

They returned Sunday morning and recovered the woman’s body.

“It’s just tough terrain to get in there,” Brand said.

Her identity and cause of death are to be released by the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Currents are especially swift in Snohomish County creeks and rivers this time of year, and water temperatures are around 45 degrees.

The sheriff’s office responded to at least five drowning deaths in 2018, including one at the same location. Last April 12, a 22-year-old Monroe woman drowned after being swept into the waterfall at Cedar Ponds.

Consider the following safety tips before exploring the county’s waterways:

• Always wear a life jacket when you are on the water. Never go near moving water without one.

• Beach logs, river banks and rocks near the shore are usually slippery. A fall can knock you unconscious and prevent you from being able to save yourself.

• Consider bringing a whistle. If you are in trouble, it could help alert nearby people.

• Keep kids within arm’s reach. Drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children 14 and under.

• Don’t dive in. Two-thirds of catastrophic neck injuries occur in open water and the sea.

An earlier version of this story cited a different age for the victim. The sheriff’s office corrected it on Monday.