Medical examiner says drowning cause of man’s death in Lake Ballinger Aug. 20

The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office has completed its examination of a 52-year-old man who died after going into distress while swimming in Lake Ballinger Aug. 20, and ruled his death was an accidental drowning.

The victim was identified as Timothy A. Bergstrom of Shoreline.

First responders were called to the lake around 3 p.m. Aug. 20 for reports of a man in distress about 50 yards off shore. Police said the victim and his fiancée were with a group of friends who had tied their paddle boards together to form a raft. Bergstrom then left the raft to retrieve something that fell in the water.

Paddle boarders nearby heard Bergstrom’s cries and were able to pull him onto a board and begin administering CPR. South County Fire crews used a rescue boat to reach the victim and they continued CPR, but weren’t able to revive the victim.

At the time of the incident, first responders weren’t sure whether the man’s death was due to drowning or a medical emergency that occurred while he was in the water.

 

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