For $100, he'd swim out and get the remote-control boats. Cold water sent him into shock

LAKEWOOD, Wash. — A man who was paid $100 to retrieve two remote-control boats from American Lake died after nearly drowning Sunday in the frigid waters, according to Lakewood police.

Michael Smith, 57, died in an area hospital a couple days after the near-drowning, Chief Mike Zaro said Thursday afternoon.

According to Zaro:

A 33-year-old man was playing with two remote control boats on American Lake about 5 p.m. Sunday when they both got stuck.

He didn’t want to get wet getting the boats back, so he paid Smith $100 to swim out and retrieve them.

Because of the lake’s cold temperature, Smith went into shock in the water.

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The 33-year-old man dragged Smith back to land and called 911. Medics transported Smith to the hospital, where he was placed on life support.

A Lakewood police detective did contact Pierce County prosecutors to discuss criminal charges against the 33-year-old, but Zaro said there was no foreseeable, reasonable cause of death for Smith — instead, the 33-year-old merely did not want to get wet.

“He didn’t do anything to put him at risk here, so there would be no component for manslaughter,” Zaro said.

Cox Media Group