Lake County Sheriff Don Bell said on Sunday evening that the death of a man in Flathead Lake is suspected to be drowning.

“We got a 9-1-1 call about an unresponsive male on Flathead Lake,” said Bell. “He had been swimming near Bird Island and passersby stopped to help the man in the water. They started CPR and then headed toward Finley Point State Park.”

Bell said his office responded immediately to the call for assistance.

“We sent a sheriff’s boat with deputies with Search and Rescue paramedics to the scene,” he said. “CPR efforts continued for quite awhile even after we got on shore, however the male did succumb to what we believe at this point to be a drowning. We have sent the male to the State Crime Lab in Missoula for an autopsy.”

Bell did not provide the age of the individual and said he would reveal the man’s name and age after his family had been notified.

The investigation into the man’s death is ongoing by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

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