Bellingham man dies on Toad Lake after boat takes on water and sinks Monday evening
A 28-year-old Bellingham man died when the boat he and a woman were in began to take on water, capsized and sank Monday evening, April 13, on Toad Lake, east of Bellingham.
The man was identified at Evan Sobjack, according to a Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office press release on the incident.
Sheriff’s deputies and the Bellingham Fire Department and North Whatcom Fire and Rescue were called at approximately 9:30 p.m. Monday to Toad Lake for the report of a capsized boat after residents reported hearing someone yelling for help and two people were spotted in the water, the release stated.
Before emergency responders arrived, several area residents launched boats to assist the people in distress and were able to locate the woman and bring her to shore, according to the release.
She told rescuers that Sobjack had disappeared under water, the release stated.
She reported that she and Sobjack had paddled out to the west end of the lake, but on their return, the boat began to take on water and eventually sank, according to the release. Neither was wearing personal flotation devices.
Summit to Sound Search and Rescue posted on its Facebook page that, “Our water team spent their night on Toad Lake.”
But search efforts, including the use of sonar equipment, were unsuccessful in locating Sobjack Monday night, according to the sheriff’s office release.
Search and recovery efforts resumed Tuesday, when divers were brought in to search underwater, the release stated. At approximately 12:30 p.m., the divers found the boat and Sobjack’s body, which has been released to the Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s office.
This story was originally published April 14, 2020 at 3:40 PM.
