Officials declared Wednesday the search for a missing man in Lake Mendota is a body recovery effort, according to Madison Fire Department Public Relations Officer Eric Dahl.
Three people were swimming near Porter Boathouse when they noticed one person was missing and signaled to bystanders for help, according Dahl. MFD received a call for help at approximately 3:19 p.m., according to an MFD press release.
Dahl said the MFD Lake Rescue Team arrived at the scene around 3:30 p.m., and divers searched the water until approximately 5:15 p.m., according to the release.
The Dane County Sheriff’s Office assisted the MFD divers with a side-scanning sonar system, which helped divers find searchable areas, according to Dahl.
But the search was difficult due to weeds and poor underwater visibility, according to the release.
The Dane County Sheriff’s Office will continue to search Wednesday evening, weather permitting, according to Dahl. If they do not find the body, the search team will return to Lake Mendota Thursday morning.
Dahl could not confirm the missing swimmer’s age or if he is a University of Wisconsin-Madison student. He could not confirm details about the other swimmers.
Dahl also could not confirm whether or not alcohol was a factor in the drowning.
