LAKE ARMSTRONG A 56-year-old Bellingham man presumably drowned in Armstrong Lake, just north of Arlington, Monday morning.
The man apparently was launching a 10-foot boat with an electric motor when the boat got away from him at the launch and he slipped into the lake. Deputies believe the man went into the 40-degree water to recover his boat. A neighbor reported hearing someone yell for help and called 9-1-1 at 8:13 a.m.
When deputies arrived a short time later, the small boat was in the middle of the lake and a truck, registered to the Bellingham man, was still running at the boat launch. There was no sign of the man.
Divers had to conduct the search entirely by touch due to zero visibility. They found the man at about 1:30 p.m. about 100 yards from the launch on the west side of the lake. He was not wearing a life jacket.
Everett Police divers and the Bryant Fire District also responded to the scene and assisted.
Snohomish County Sheriffs Office is not releasing the mans name. For his identity and a confirmed cause of death, contact the Snohomish County Medical Examiners Office.