Man who drowned in Lake Tapps has been identified
A man who drowned while swimming in Lake Tapps has been identified.
Gabriel Carl Swart, 24, of Kent, was with family members at North Lake Tapps County Park May 1 when he tried to swim from a spit to the other side of the lake. Family members noticed him struggling and called 911 about 3:45 p.m.
A dive team from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department responded and recovered Swart’s body around 4:30 p.m.
He was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Sgt. Darren Moss, the sheriff’s spokesman, reminded people that lake waters are very cold this time of year.
“We can’t find the right words to describe how kind, loving and giving Gabe is,” his family wrote on a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral costs. “He is such a beautiful man with such a beautiful heart.”
This story was originally published May 6, 2021 at 9:46 AM.
