SILVER LAKE – The cause of death for Natalie Zellers, 38, Fort Wayne, whose body was recovered from Silver Lake Saturday evening, was ruled an accidental drowning, Kosciusko County Coroner Mike Wilson said this morning. According to a press release from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Sunday, Indiana conservation officers responded to an emergency call after 6 p.m. Saturday in Silver Lake. Zellers, a teacher at Washington Center Elementary School in Fort Wayne, reportedly was swimming with her husband from a boat in North Little Lake in Silver Lake. Both Zellers and her husband were wearing life jackets while in the water but had removed them once they climbed back into the boat. Zellers was standing on the front of the boat when she fell backward into the water. She went under the water and never resurfaced. Her husband attempted to rescue her while other witnesses called 911. Indiana conservation officers responded to the call. Using side scan sonar, conservation officers located her body on the bottom of the lake. Indiana conservation officer divers recovered her in 22 feet of water around 9 p.m. Saturday. Assisting at the scene were Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, Silver Lake Police, Silver Lake Fire, Warsaw Police, Warsaw Fire, Lifemed EMS, State Police and Indiana Conservation Officers. Indiana conservation officers and Wilson conducted the death investigation. An autopsy was performed Sunday in Fort Wayne.
