Kansas man drowns in lake near Genoa

Genoa, Neb. (KSNB) - A Kansas man is dead after drowning in a lake near Genoa Saturday.

Around 1:23 p.m. Saturday, the Nance County Sheriff’s Office and Genoa Volunteer Fire and Rescue responded to a reported drowning at a private lake south of Genoa. Upon arrival, deputies were told that the victim had been swimming 100 feet from the shore when witnesses heard him call for help, then vanish under the water. The victim was last seen approximately 12 minutes before first responders arrived on scene.

Deputies then went into the lake, searching for the victim, but were ultimately unsuccessful. There were also attempts to locate the victim using boats, volunteers and thermal cameras. Other citizens were reported to have helped in the search by providing boats and floatation devices.

Dive teams used sonar technology and divers to search the area and eventually recovered the body.

The victim was identified as Wayne E. Mathias, 79, of Augusta, Kansas.