Body of Index drowning victim not yet recovered

Stymied by challenging conditions, emergency personnel have yet to recover the body of a Lake Stevens man believed to have drowned over the weekend near Index.

First responders were deployed to the area after 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, alerted by a 9-1-1 caller who reported that, "someone was in the river and he could not get them out.GÇ¥ Both the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office and the King County Police Department were dispatched, along with fire personnel, including Snohomish County District No. 26 from Gold Bar and District No. 28 from Index.-á

The incident occurred near the 62000 block of Index-Galena Road, which is close to the Troublesome Creek Campground.

Witnesses reported to law enforcement that a group of four adults had been traveling together when two of the men decided to go swimming in the north fork of the Skykomish River.

"The area was beneath a waterfall that was turbulent and difficult to swim in. One swimmer barely made it out of the water and they observed the other man go under and then not surface again,GÇ¥ reported the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office in a July 19 press release. "The operation shifted from a rescue mission to a recovery mission this evening.GÇ¥

Attempts to recover the body were unsuccessful.

The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office Dive Team returned to the scene on Monday, July 20, but were unable to recover the body. -áRecovery efforts are ongoing, and new information will be released as it becomes available.

The missing Lake Stevens man is believed to be in his early 20s. -á