CHATTAROY, Wash. — The search for the missing paddleboarder at Bear Lake has once again been called off for poor visibility in the water.
Crews did not find the missing paddleboarder today.
The Sheriff’s Office closed the lake early this morning to conduct an intensive search operation. Crews began their efforts around 7 a.m., deploying underwater scanning devices, sonar machines and K9 dogs to locate the missing paddleboarder. However, by just before 1 p.m., officials pulled their boat from the water and reopened the lake to the public.
The lake was initially closed in hopes that silt in the water would settle, potentially improving visibility for search operations. That strategy did not yield results.
Deputies will continue to monitor and re-evaluate water conditions, though officials say they cannot conduct search operations every day given the current visibility constraints.
COPYRIGHT 2026 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.

