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Search for missing American Lake boater becomes ‘recovery effort,’ first responders say

By Sean Robinson
Members of the West Pierce Fire and Rescue along with officers from the Lakewood Police Department congregate near the boat launch at American Lake Park on the north end of American Lake in Lakewood on Saturday night. Earlier in the evening, West Pierce Fire and Rescue tweeted that they were conducting a water rescue and searching for a missing boater. No one on the scene as able to comment on the progress of the rescue or search.
Members of the West Pierce Fire and Rescue along with officers from the Lakewood Police Department congregate near the boat launch at American Lake Park on the north end of American Lake in Lakewood on Saturday night. Earlier in the evening, West Pierce Fire and Rescue tweeted that they were conducting a water rescue and searching for a missing boater. No one on the scene as able to comment on the progress of the rescue or search. Pete Caster pcaster@thenewstribune.com

What began as a search for a missing boater on American Lake became “a recovery effort” by late Saturday, according to a online statement from West Pierce Fire & Rescue.

The initial dispatch call came at 6:50 p.m., the agency tweeted, prompting a search for a missing boater. Soon, three boats joined the search.

Information was limited Saturday night. No details about the missing boater or the underlying circumstances were provided. A later tweet from the agency said a life jacket and boat were found. Lakewood Police also responded to the scene. The U.S. Coast Guard was expected to join the search.

This story will be updated.

This story was originally published February 19, 2022 at 11:14 PM.

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