Man drowns in Horseshoe Lake while trying to evade Woodland police

A man running from police drowned in Woodland’s Horseshoe Lake early Thursday morning.

According to a statement from Woodland Police, the man made it halfway across the lake when he began calling for help but he could not be reached. His body was found hours later.

The Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office will attempt to identify him and notify his family.

According to the statement, a man was spotted in Horseshoe Lake Park after midnight Thursday morning. Woodland Police Officer Alex Olson attempted to get the man’s attention by flashing the emergency lights on his patrol car, but the man fled toward the lake.

About 10 minutes later, Olson spotted the man about halfway across the lake. He began calling for help and saying he was unable to swim anymore.

Olson lost sight of the man and called for help from fire and rescue and other law enforcement. Olson then grabbed life jackets from a nearby life jacket “loaner station” and swam to the last place he saw the man, but was unable to find him.

The Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team searched for the man but were unable to locate him.

Due to the length of time the man had been in the water, the mission was changed from a rescue mission to a recovery mission.

Five hours after the initial call, sheriff’s deputies and dive team members located the man, who was dead.

The man’s identity will be released after family has been notified.