LAKE COUNTY – A man”s drowned body was found under the waters of Hidden Valley Lake over the weekend after a day-long search that began Saturday morning.
Witnesses told deputies dispatched to a recreation area there that they had seen Hidden Valley Lake resident Matthew Norman Kosar swim out to a floating swim platform in the lake, according to a Lake County Sheriff”s Office (LCSO) press release. Kosar reportedly jumped back into the water from the platform and was not seen again.
The search began when deputies responded at 9:27 a.m. Saturday morning and requested assistance from Cal Fire, with one Cal Fire swimmer searching for Kosar under the floating platform and docks.
A helicopter from the Sonoma County Sheriff”s Department also searched the area with forward-looking infra-red equipment, used to detect temperature differences in the water. The infra-red would have found Kosar had he been near the water”s surface, according to Lt. Cecil Brown of the LCSO.
Deputies and volunteers with the Lake County Search and Rescue Association found Kosar”s body in Hidden Valley Lake at around 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
The LCSO press release states that a coroner”s investigation is underway, and the that a pathologist determined the cause of Kosar”s death was fresh water drowning.
Lt. Brown said toxicity samples are being done to determine if alcohol consumption was a factor in Kosar”s drowning. Witness reported seeing Kosar drinking beer the day he vanished into the lake, said Brown.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
