Published October 18 2013
A call came into 911 just after 9 a.m. Thursday, reporting a submerged truck about 60 feet off shore in the water at the Sweyolocken boat launch, 3000 block of Bellevue Way S.E.
Bellevue Police and firefighters responded to the scene within minutes. Two divers from the fire department swam out to the Ford F-150 truck and determined no one was in the vehicle. A large tow truck was called to the scene to pull the vehicle out of the water.
Mercer Island Marine Patrol Dive Team and Search and Rescue were called to the scene to assist in the search. The dive team searched the slough for approximately 30 minutes and located the 54-year-old owner of the truck submerged under seven feet of water.
During the initial investigation, police discovered the driver, a North Bend resident, had not shown up to work in Bellevue that morning. His wife said she had texted him a couple of times but had not received a reply.
Bellevue detectives will continue to investigate the circumstances of this tragic incident.
Family members have been notified and the King County Medical Examiner will release the name of the deceased after their examination.