Swimmer drowns trying to cross cove at Longview Lake

An 18-year-old Kansas City man drowned Saturday at Longview Lake after trying to swim across a cove with three friends, authorities said.

The four men struggled in the water while trying to cross some 250 yards of the southern Jackson County lake about 2:30 p.m., said Sgt. Collin Stosberg of the Missouri Highway Patrol.

Rescuers quickly got three of the swimmers to the shore. Ambulance crews took two to hospitals and treated the third at the scene.

Tim J. Nolen remained underwater for approximately an hour before crews recovered his body about 3:40 p.m.

“It’s tragic,” said Deputy Chief Norman Larkey of the Kansas City Fire Department, one of several agencies involved in the rescue and recovery efforts.

Friends of the swimmers watched as the rescuers worked near Shelter House 13 on the lake’s west side.

Larkey said it was too early to know if alcohol was involved. Troopers were patrolling the lake when the swimmers got into trouble and the patrol is investigating the incident.

Authorities estimated the water depth where the swimmers tried to cross at 4 to 7 feet.

Larkey said there were no extraordinary currents in the area at the time. But even experienced swimmers would have difficulty covering the distance that the four swimmers tried to cross, he said.

This story was originally published June 21, 2014 at 2:54 PM with the headline "Swimmer drowns trying to cross cove at Longview Lake."