30-year-old from North Carolina dies after going under in alpine lake, WA cops say
A 30-year-old man from Raleigh, North Carolina, died after going underwater in a remote and cold alpine lake in Washington, deputies said.
Someone sent a 911 text at about 7:15 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, from Colchuck Lake, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said in an Aug. 6 Facebook post.
The man, who has not been identified by authorities, hiked to the icy vibrant blue lake from Colchuck Trail and Stuart Lake Trail with three friends, spokesperson Jason Reinfeld told McClatchy News in an Aug. 7 email.
Reinfeld said the group then got in the water to swim.
They were swimming “across a small inlet” on the west side of the lake when the man couldn’t swim further, Reinfeld said.
The man was about 20 yards from the shore when he went underwater for about five minutes, Reinfeld said.
Another hiker pulled the victim out of the water. The hiker and the man’s friends took turns performing CPR until first responders got to the scene, Reinfeld said.
Because of the remote mountain area, the man was hoisted into an Army helicopter at about 8:45 p.m., deputies said in the news release.
He was transported to the Leavenworth Fish Hatchery where he was pronounced dead, deputies said.
The Stuart Lake Trailhead parking lot is about a 15-mile drive southwest from Leavenworth, a Bavarian-style village and tourist destination.
Once at the trailhead, it’s an over 4-mile trek to Colchuck Lake.
The challenging out-and-back hike is about 8.7 miles in total with an elevation gain of 2,342 feet, according to AllTrails.
The lake is icy and deep blue, making it a popular hiking area, according to the Washington Trails Association.
This story was originally published August 7, 2025 at 12:04 PM.
