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Sheriff: recent lake deaths were medical, not homicide; missing man located
Summary
Lt. Lahti said several boats sank recently, the previously-rumored marina "murder" was a fatal heart attack, and a missing Tonto Basin man was found deceased on his property; the sheriff's office said boat owners are responsible for removal coordination with insurers and appropriate agencies.
Lt. Lahti of the Gila County Sheriff’s Department told residents that several boats sank on the lake in the past month. When a resident mentioned a rumor of a murder at the marina, the lieutenant said the incident involved a person who suffered a heart attack and fell into the lake, not a homicide.
Lahti also said that a missing man from Tonto Basin had been located deceased on his property. Residents asked whether thefts had been reported at the boat ramps; Lahti said no thefts were reported and that he does not know of such incidents. When asked who is responsible for removing a sunken boat, Lahti said it is the boat owner’s responsibility to contact their insurance company and work with them, and that the sheriff's office (SO) and Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) both patrol the lake and that 911 dispatchers will route calls to the appropriate organization.
The comments were informational; no enforcement actions or formal investigations were announced at the meeting.
