A Tacoma man whose car plunged into Alder Lake Tuesday died as a result of a fatal heart problem. The Pierce County medical examiner identified the man as Kenneth Johnson and said the cause of death was cardiac dysrhythmia, a form of irregular heartbeat that can cause cardiac arrest. The medical examiner's ruling disspelled early reports that Johnson may have drowned in the incident that occurred Dec. 2. According to authorities, passing motorists saw an automobile in the lake near the intersection of State Route 7 and Alder Cutoff Road. Fire District 23 was alerted at about 7:20 p.m., and a crew found the vehicle about 40 feet from the shoreline, said fire chief Garry Olson. A Pierce County Sheriff Department diver pulled Johnson from the vehicle, a 2010 Jeep, and took him to shore. Attempts by rescuers to revive him were unsuccessful. There were no reported witnesses of how the car ended up in the lake or for how long. Johnson was alone in the car, which reportedly reached the water after hitting the end of a guardrail and possibly becoming airborne.
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