PEND OREILLE COUNTY, WA – A 61-year-old man from Newport, Washington, drowned early Sunday morning while fishing at Davis Lake near Highway 211.
According to a news release from the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office, dispatchers received a 911 call around 1:45 a.m. on July 14 from a woman who reported her friend had fallen into the lake. She said the man had been fishing near a rocky shoreline when he entered the water. Her attempts to pull him to safety were unsuccessful. She went to her car to call for help, but when she returned, he was gone.
Deputies and rescue crews from Pend Oreille County Fire District 4 and the Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit responded and used sonar to search the lake. Spokane County Sheriff’s Office dive team later located the man’s body in thirteen feet of water near a rock cliff.
The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the deceased as David W. Harvey. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death is under investigation.
This marks the second drowning in Pend Oreille County over the weekend. Authorities are urging the public to exercise caution around waterways and to wear life vests.
