Ike Kinswa State Park sits at the northwest shore of Mayfield Lake in central Lewis County. / Image created from Lewis County GIS Mapping
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A dive team from Pierce County is expected this morning to begin searching for the body of a man who slipped under the water at Mayfield Lake late yesterday afternoon, despite his wife’s attempt to keep him afloat when he tired out from a lengthy swim.
Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters who responded to the 5:15 p.m. call to the boat launch at Ike Kinswa State Park searched but had not located the man as of about 9:25 p.m.
He is identified as a 43-year-old Rochester resident.
The family had been camping in the park since Tuesday and swam in the lake several times without issue, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said the father and his 17-year-old son had decided to swim to a buoy about 200 feet from shore, but both swimmers began getting tired on the way back. Brown said the 43-year-old was having difficulty staying above water and called to his wife for help.
“The wife swam to her husband to try to help but could not keep her husband afloat,” Brown stated in a news release last night. “He went underwater and has not been located as of this release.”
Ike Kinswa State Park is at the northwest edge of Mayfield Lake in central Lewis County.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
As a former grief councilor with the National Park Service. I can say, the best thing a person can do in this situation, is to see the camping trip through to it’s conclusion. Do not break camp. This is no time for heroes.
Something about the combination of the sight of those half-eaten packages of wieners, hot dog buns, and those canary-yellow squeeze bottles of French’s mustard floating amongst the melt water, as it forlornly piddles out the drain-hole of an Igloo cooler, just exacerbates an already emotionally fraught time.
It’s something symbolic to do with the insignificance of our plans made within the scheme of a cold and unfeeling universe. I remember reading something about it in a college Lit. course, once.
Item’s like tent stakes, fishing tackle, lanterns etc. are apt to get left behind. They’ll just need to be replaced prior to the next camping trip.
Lastly, when ever one becomes fatigued while swimming at too far a distance from shore – turn over and float on your back. A person can rest. As well, as it being easier to propel oneself through water using one’s legs, while floating on your back. It’s something I still remember from summer swimming lessons when I was five years-old.
This comment is blocked. Really.
Thank you everyone for your condolences.
Sheila, we appreciate your concern for the efforts made to find our family member. While we felt the efforts on Friday came up short of our expectations, the efforts Saturday were a different story. Sheriff Snaza himself was out there all day in the boat helping and the dive team from Tacoma, who themselves did everything they could within their abilities. I know, I was with them the entire time. They took the time to inform me of their strategies, and kept me involved as conditions and strategies changed. They were as considerate of the families feelings as they could be the entire time, and they were as disappointed at the early quitting time and lack of results as we were. It wasn’t just about rules. I, and the immediate family members are grateful for their efforts. We also received word this evening that they will be there again Tuesday with the entire team with their own boat and all of their equipment including a remote controlled submersible and will be able to put in a much longer day if needed.
Thank you.
Exactly look how long they looked for the Dentists Wife. Tax Feeders just drive through town to pick up their paychecks. It’s just a sick World we live in. Maybe a 3rd bathroom will be built at the park with all the Tax money they saved by calling off the search.
This family has been left to sit in the camp ground to greive. The emergency response team has been awful. The night of the incident the response team did nothing because it was late and dark…REALLY
They brought in Peirce county dive team who came in at 9 set up and left by 3 p.m. they came to the camp and said we can’t dive any longer because of our restrictions and said they may be back on Tuesday. They also stated that the Lewis County Sheriff’s Department would send a boat out today to do a surface search in which no one has seen or heard from anyone. The tragedy was horrific enough but the response they have gotten from the emergency team is absolutely horrific. They walked out of that camp and left that family to sit there in total loss and not knowing what to do. It’s good to see our tax dollars are going to a great use. This family needs help finding there loved one. You can bet if it was somebody of importance they would have drained that damn lake to find the body they would not have went home at 3 in the afternoon.
Sad news …my condolences to his family and his many friends. We will miss you.
RIP