KIRKLAND, Wash. — King County sheriff’s deputies will resume searching for a missing boater Thursday in Lake Washington near Kirkland.
Other agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, suspended their search on Wednesday for the boater.
On Tuesday afternoon, the King County Sheriff’s Office’s marine rescue dive unit and the U.S. Coast Guard started searching the lake after a running 35-foot powerboat with no one aboard crashed into a private pier.
Officials said a cellphone and wallet were found on the vessel.
According to a release from the Coast Guard, a video from the Kenmore Marina confirmed one person was aboard a vessel that launched, and the family of the missing boater confirmed the person intended to go from Kenmore to Blake Island.
Crews searched the area near Juanita Bay-Magnuson Park but did not find anyone.
Officials said, “The areas of concern were highly saturated by Coast Guard members and multiple partner agencies. Without locating the person or signs of distress, we have chosen to suspend the search, pending further developments. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of the missing.”
“Suspending search efforts is always an extremely difficult decision,” said Randy Corbett, search and rescue mission coordinator, Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound.
The U.S. Coast Guard said crews completed 14 different search patterns and covered 55 square miles in their search for the missing boater.
Although the King County Sheriff’s Office said they will resume searching for the missing boater, it will probably turn into a recovery mission as the person is presumed to have drowned.
Cox Media Group
