Linn County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a drowning that occurred Sunday morning at Clear Lake.
According to Sheriff Bruce Riley, his office received a 9-1-1 call at 12:23 p.m. Sunday, March 2, reporting that a group of three men had been scuba diving and one did not surface.
James Paul Ward, 49, of Forest Grove was diving in Clear Lake with longtime friend Christopher Todd Baggarley, 46, of Banks and his 24-year-old son Todd Michel Baggarley also from Forest Grove. All three were diving together at approximately 10 a.m. when Ward indicated he was going to surface.
Ward, an experienced diver, was seen ascending to the surface and did not signal any distress.
The Baggarleys continued their dive and surfaced about 20 minutes later at which time they discovered Ward missing. They were not able to locate him on the shore or at their cabin. A search of the shoreline failed to locate him so they contacted Linn County Parks resort personnel.
Due to lack of telephone coverage, park personnel had to drive to the junction of Highways 20 and 126, near the Santiam Pass, to call 9-1-1.
At approximately 2:30 p.m. Sweet Home Fire dive personnel located Ward’s body 40 feet under water, approximately 100 yards north of the Clear Lake Lodge. The water temperature was 39 degrees.
Ward’s scuba tank was found to still have approximately 2,000 pounds of air. At this time, no malfunction of Ward’s diving equipment was found, Riley said.
Ward’s body was taken to Aasum Funeral Home in Albany.