LAKE IVANHOE — The normally peaceful Lake Ivanhoe became a sullen scene Thursday afternoon when a man was found drowned underneath his kayak, despite the best efforts of Walworth County's dive teams.
The Walworth County Sheriff's Office said the man, who they have not publicly identified, was wearing his flotation device when first responders spotted his body in the lake. They said he was pronounced dead shortly after he was brought to shore.
Justin Carlson said he was among the last people to see the kayaker alive. He says he spotted him on the water when he came down to fish on Lake Ivanhoe Thursday morning.
"It was just a normal person relaxing," Carlson said. "He was out there for a while and the whole time I was out there fishing. I ended up taking off eventually."
Watch: Lake Ivanhoe users grieving man found dead by rescue team underneath his kayak
Carlson said he returned to fish on the lake again Thursday afternoon and realized he could see the man's kayak still in the water.
"There was no movement, and it didn't look like anybody was on it. It just looked like a lone raft floating away," Carlson said.
He remained at the lake while first responders came to investigate what happened.
"That's when my heart sank," Carlson said. "I figured, 'I'm going to speak up and tell the officer that the raft had been out there since this morning.' I was out here pretty early, at about 8 or 8:30."
Mary McIntyre and her family have lived in Lake Ivanhoe for generations. She said she was heartbroken when she learned about the drowning.
"The neighborhood is grieving because it is such a tragic situation."
McIntyre said the last drowning she remembers on Lake Ivanhoe was in 2007, when her elderly neighbor had a medical emergency while out on a boat.
"He was having some dementia issues, stood up on the boat, and drowned," McIntyre recalled.
The Walworth County Sheriff's Office is still determining the circumstances which led to the kayaker's death.
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