A man died in Sitka over the weekend, after attempting to swim across Sitka Channel.
Shortly before midnight Friday, Sitka police received a report of a man in the water under the O’Connell Bridge.
According to a friend who called the police, the man had jumped in the water to try and swim the channel. He had been in the water for at least 30 minutes before help was summoned.
The Sitka Emergency Response Vessel arrived on the scene with a dive team to begin the search, but it was hindered by high winds and waves.
The search resumed Saturday in daylight, and the man’s body was found at about 12:30 in the afternoon.
Police believe the swimmer drowned. His body was sent to the State Medical Examiner in Anchorage. His name has not been released pending notification of next-of-kin.
