Body of man who fell into icy Shawnee Mission Lake found by Johnson County rescue crews
The body of a 21-year-old man was pulled from the chilly waters of Shawnee Mission Park Lake on Monday after first responders spent hours conducting a search operation for a person who reportedly fell through the ice.
Around 10:20 a.m., rescue teams from Lenexa and Overland Park were called to the park by Johnson County Park Police after learning someone had fallen under the water near a part of the park reserved for walking dogs without a leash.
Roughly five hours later, around 3:15 p.m., the man was found dead in the lake, according to a news release from the Johnson County Parks and Recreation District.
“We are saddened to hear of this tragic event and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family,” Jeff Stewart, the park district’s executive director, said in a statement emailed to The Star on Monday afternoon.
The name of the man was not released Monday. The identity was to be disclosed following a next-of-kin notification, the park district said in the news release
Earlier Monday, Assistant Fire Chief Butch Diekemper, of the Lenexa Fire Department, said firefighters were unable to see the person in the water upon arrival. He said the fire crew immediately went into active rescue operations and called in a dive team from Overland Park for assistance.
It was not immediately known what led to the man going out onto the ice. As of Monday afternoon, some parts of the lake near the center appeared mostly thawed. Nearer the shore, rescuers were breaking through chunks of ice as they searched for the missing man.
Park district officials shut down the 44-acre dog park temporarily late Monday morning as the search operation was underway. It was scheduled to be reopened by Monday evening, according to the park district.
The Star’s Andrea Klick contributed to this report.
This story was originally published February 6, 2023 at 6:35 PM.
