(Arnolds Park)– The Fourth of July holiday period in the Iowa Great Lakes has started out with a tragedy.
A Holstein, Iowa man drowned Saturday night in East Lake Okoboji.
The victim is identified as 21-year-old Cody Schubert of Holstein.
Authorities say the Dickinson County Communications Center received a 911 call shortly before 11:00 p.m. reporting a male had fallen into the water from the boat he was in and had not surfaced.
The incident took place near the Ritz Bar in Arnolds Park.
Utilizing the Lakes Area Fire Boat as a dive platform, the Arnolds Park/Okoboji Fire and Rescue’s Surface Water Rescue Team initiated a surface search and deployed rescue swimmers in an attempt to locate Schubert. They were finally able to locate him after searching for about 45 minutes in zero visibility due to darkness.
Schubert was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident remains under investigation by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office.
The Arnolds Park Police Department and Lakes Regional Healthcare ambulance assisted on the scene.
