Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Two Warsaw men drowned in separate incidents Monday, one at Hoffman Lake and one at Center Lake.
Emergency personnel were called to Hoffman Lake at 2:32 p.m. and found neighbors on West Lutes Drive, Warsaw, performing CPR on Sam W. Edson, 53, of 7382 W. Lutes Drive. Despite the efforts of those aiding Edson, he was pronounced dead at Kosciusko Community Hospital shortly after arrival.
A press release from the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department notes that Edson was attempting to swim across Hoffman Lake when a witness, Steven E. Fribley, noticed Edson was beginning to struggle.
Fribley, who was bringing his boat to shore, turned around and went to help him. Edson was swimming northwesterly when Fribley first saw him and had turned back toward the southeast as Fribley headed toward him. Before Fribley reached Edson, Fribley told police, Edson suddenly stopped swimming and was floating face down for 30 to 40 seconds before Fribley reached him. Another boater, Chad Huffer of Fishers, was summoned to help get Edson out of the water, and Edson was taken to shore, where a resident, Amy Durst, began CPR and another neighbor called 911.
Police said an empty prescription medication bottle and an open bottle of vodka were found in the kitchen of Edson's house, but it was not known if alcohol was involved in the incident.
Assisting at the scene were Etna Green and Atwood fire departments, Multi-Township Emergency Medical Service and Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
At Center Lake, police divers located Leonardo Valencia Tlahuel, 22, of 513 E. Market St., Warsaw, in about 8 feet of water, 25 to 30 feet from shore. He was taken to KCH, where he was pronounced dead.
A 911 call of the incident was received at 7:21 p.m. by Indiana State Police via cellular telephone. City, county and state police dive teams were called to the scene and witnesses told police Tlahuel, who was a nonswimmer, ran into the water and then past them into deeper water. Jose Saucedo of Warsaw, who was at the beach with Tlahuel and other friends and family, said when he last saw Tlahuel he appeared to be swimming and doing OK.
Nobody heard any struggling or screams for help, but after the others were out of the water about 10 minutes, nobody could find Tlahuel, and a beachgoer was asked to call for help on his cellular telephone.
It is estimated that Tlahuel was under water for about one hour from the time he was last seen until recovery time.
Also assisting at Center Lake were Warsaw Fire Department, MTEMS and Indiana DNR.
