Staff Report

Members of the Mercer Island Police Department (MIPD) Marine Patrol and Bellevue emergency responders searched for a missing man in Lake Washington on the evening of June 16 in the Meydenbauer Bay area of Bellevue, according to the MIPD.

Recovery operations continued on June 17 for the missing adult male from Bellevue by using bottom searching technology and video surveillance from area homes to pinpoint the search area.

Crews were called to the scene near 800 Shoreland Drive SE at 7:05 p.m. on June 16 to search for the missing man, who jumped into the water to try and assist one of his young sons. The boy fell off their motorboat and was wearing a life jacket; the father was not donning a life vest. The rented vessel also contained the missing man’s other young son (the boys are ages 4 and 6) and two adult friends.

Sailing club members who were cruising by the area pulled the child from the water, and one member attempted to rescue the father, “but he (the missing man) submerged and (did) not come back the surface,” MIPD said.

According to the Bellevue Fire Department Twitter page, “(The) Marine Patrol Unit determined the depth at which the victim slipped underwater was over 100 feet. Due to the time that had elapsed and the depth, a rescue was not possible.”

On June 16, U.S. Coast Guard units conducted an air search and could not locate the missing man. The rented vessel was towed to the MIPD dock pending further investigation.