17-year-old’s physique discovered after drowning in N.H. lake, officers say

Officials have recovered the body of a 17-year-old boy after he drowned in a New Hampshire lake Friday, according to New Hampshire State Police.

The division’s Marine Patrol department responded to a 911 call Friday afternoon reporting that a person had gone into the water on Lake Winnipesaukee and failed to resurface, according to a news release. The incident happened near Diamond and Rattlesnake Islands, respectively located in the towns of Gilford and Alton.

At the lake, Marine Patrol officers found a boat with three women on board, who told them that a 17-year-old boy went into the water to recover a bag that had fallen overboard. Due to “rough water conditions caused by strong winds,” the teen submerged and did not resurface after struggling to swim, officials said.

Marine Patrol officers and the Gilford and Alton Fire Departments conducted an initial search but did not find the boy’s body, according to police. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Dive Unit was then called for assistance, and the dive team found and recovered the body just after 7 p.m.

The teen’s identity has not been released, but an autopsy has been scheduled, officials said. The initial investigation confirmed that the boy drowned, and further details remain under investigation.

Anyone with information about the drowning can contact Marine Patrol Sergeant Seth Alie at [email protected] or 603-227-2117.