Body Recovered After Man Fell Off Kayak On Lake In Summit: Fire Dept.

SUMMIT, WI — Authorities on Thursday recovered the body of a man who fell off a kayak on Lower Nemahbin Lake in Summit on Tuesday, according to a news release from the Western Lakes Fire District.

Witnesses spotted a man in his 50s alongside two children in a kayak when the boat flipped around 6 p.m., the fire department said. The two children were wearing life jackets and were able to grab the kayak and call for help, but the man was not wearing a life jacket and he never came back up from the water, according to WLFD.

Efforts to save the man included a conservation warden boat, plus divers and boats equipped with sonar alongside drones and an underwater vehicle. Rescue efforts switched to recovery efforts for his remains by Tuesday evening, the fire department said.

Recovery efforts continued through Wednesday with divers doing "pattern and tow bar searches" and within a half hour of efforts resuming on early Thursday morning, search crews found the man's body, authorities said.

The fire department noted that Lower Nemahbin Lake has a maximum depth of around 36 feet, while the search area concentrated on a heavily weeded area with depths of 6-12 feet and two "bowls" with depths of 18-23 feet. Divers and sonar equipment had to deal with low visibility amid the search because of the lake's heavy weed beds and sediment, a news release said.

Authorities on Friday announced the discovery of the man's body but held off on identifying him amid an investigation by the Summit Police Department and Waukesha County Medical Examiner's Office.