Swimmer Missing And Presumed Drowned At Crater Lake

27 year old swimmer is missing at Crater Lake and is presumed to have drowned

Klamath Alerts has been following an incident that occurred at Crater Lake yesterday involving a missing swimmer. Sunday afternoon, a 27 year old male was swimming at Cleetwood Cove and jumped into the water and never resurfaced.

Emergency crews from Jackson County, Klamath County, and Crater Lake NPS responded to the scene. A Spokesperson told Klamath Alerts that “recovery efforts are ongoing today but may not be possible due to the depth of the lake”.

Water temperatures are reported to be around 57 to 60 degrees at the surface in the area of Cleetwood Cove which is the only legal access point to the lake surface according to the Crater Lake NPS website. The water gets colder as depth increases in the lake.

Above: Map showing location of presumed drowning incident yesterday at Crater Lake (Google Maps)

Cold Water Safety Reminder

Although it is much too early to reach a conclusion of what happened to the swimmer yesterday at Crater Lake, the water is cold enough to cause cold water shock. This can cause uncontrolled gasping and inhaling even under water. It could also limit muscle movement rapidly.  Life jackets from outside the park are not allowed into Crater Lake due to the risk of bringing invasive species into the water. Life jackets are provided by the park for boat tours.

Above: A cold water safety demonstration from KGW News & Oregon Marine Board 

For more information about swimming at Crater Lake and what is allowed you can visit the official Crater Lake NPS website here.

For a review of cold water safety information and information about cold water shock please visit the National Weather Service cold water information page here.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim at Crater Lake yesterday. We will update with additional information if any is released. The name and any further information about the victim has not been released.

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