Examiner's Office identifies Sunset Falls drowning victim

The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the body recovered from the Skykomish River on Saturday as 49-year-old Adrian B. Jovanovic, who disappeared in the water near Sunset Falls three weeks prior.

The Seattle man died from “fresh water drowning,” according to the examiner’s office, and the manner is accidental.

Jovanovic was walking along the river near Sunset Falls with his 32-year-old girlfriend at the time he fell in on June 17. She said she had seen him resurface at one point, and he appeared to no longer have a shirt on. He also looked like he had lost consciousness.

It is unclear how long Jovanovic spent underwater before surfacing. Emergency responders worked for about two hours on June 17, before suspending efforts because of unsafe conditions. The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office spoke with the victim's family about how dangerous it would be to put more people in the water.

The agency's search and rescue teams checked the spot regularly, including flyovers. Less than two weeks later a 25-year-old Texas woman is believed to have drowned at the same spot.

She was in the area visiting her mother, and the two were sitting on a rock when the woman disappeared. Her mother looked away, and when she turned back the woman had disappeared. The woman's mother said she had thoroughly searched the area on foot.

Efforts to find both drowning victims were hindered by the water coming over the falls that has been too cold and moving too fast.

A witness discovered Jovanovic’s body floating in the water downstream of the falls near Index on July 1. The 25-year-old woman has still not been found.

Divers were able to safely search the river Monday when water levels dropped enough. More than half a dozen responders were out at Sunset Falls that morning The crew included two divers, two boat operators, and three members who remained shore as spotters or worked an underwater camera. The device was able to get visuals close to the base of the falls.

Underwater sonar and camera equipment was also used to survey the pool when Jovanovic first went missing.