Divers Searching for Drowning Victim

He has not been identified, but a man is feared drowned after an accident on Lake Minnetonka early Saturday evening.

The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office said Sunday morning that searches conducted through the night had not yet located the man. Sonar is being used to survey the lake near where the man was last seen.

Reports of a swimmer in distress first came in around 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Witnesses reported the victim swam about 25 feet from his boat to a friend's personal watercraft to help with some minor repairs. On his way back, the man began struggling and went under.

Friends jumped into the water to assist, but attempts to rescue the man were unsuccessful.

Via Twitter KSTP News quoted Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek as saying Saturday's apparent drowning was the first on Lake Minnetonka in 2.5 years.

The Star Tribune additionally reported the feared victim is from the Twin Cities area.

The Orono Police Department, Long Lake Fire Department, Wayzata Fire Department, an air unit from the Minnesota State Patrol and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office all responded to the scene. 

Patch will have additional details on this story as they become available.

A second drowning, this one in Maple Grove, claimed the life of a man swimming in Elm Creek Regional Park. He has likewise not yet been officially identified. Click  for more on that story.