One person has died after attempting to help a kayaker who fell into the water at Five Mile Lake in Auburn on Wednesday evening, April 5.
The King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) and additional agencies responded to a reported drowning at the recreational park near the 36400 block of 44th Avenue South shortly after 5 p.m.
Initial reports said a person had fallen out of a kayak-type watercraft and into the water, said Sgt. M. Corbett Ford, public information officer for KCSO.
A fisherman on the shore entered the water to assist the kayaker. The kayaker, a man in his early 40s, was rescued from the water and resuscitated, then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to Ford and a tweet from South King Fire and Rescue.
KCSO’s Marine Unit and divers, along with divers from surrounding fire agencies with other resources, searched for the second victim — the fisherman — for two hours.
Just before 7:15 p.m., divers found the fisherman, a man in his mid-30s, and pulled him from the water, said Ford. The man died at the scene.
Officials said there is nothing suspicious about the death. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the man’s identity and cause of death.
Additional crews from nearby agencies that also responded include South King Fire and Rescue, Valley Regional Fire Authority, Renton Regional Fire Authority and King County Medic 1.
The sheriff’s office reminds people that as the weather continues to warm up and people are enjoying the many lakes and waterways, it is important to use of life-jackets and flotation devices.
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