A man who waded into the waters of Indian Lake to retrieve an item that floated away was reported dead from drowning Friday, Aug,. 30, deputies from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office report.
Craig Thimmes, 54, of Huntsville, was found unresponsive behind a residence near 8651 State Route 368, where he lived at the Lakeridge Resort back on the Indian Lake Isles.
Authorities were dispatched to that location at approximately 6:14 p.m. to the rear of lot 30, where Thimmes’ body was discovered next to a boat dock. Indian Lake EMS personnel pronounced him deceased at the scene.
Laura Elford, a neighbor, reported that she last saw Thimmes about 45 minutes before the incident. They had spoken briefly outside their neighboring house trailers, which have boat docks leading to the lake. Elford mentioned that it wasn’t raining or storming at the time, and Thimmes declined any assistance as she headed to the store.
When Elford returned, she noticed Thimmes’ pink shirt on her boat but couldn’t locate him. She then approached another neighbor, Larry Kennedy, to see if he had seen Thimmes.
Kennedy, who had been working on his deck and saw Thimmes doing yard work earlier, said the weather had begun to worsen with strong winds and rain. They both decided to search for Thimmes and eventually found him floating face down in the water two docks away. Despite their efforts, which included Kennedy pulling him from the water and Elford attempting CPR, they were unable to revive him.
Surveillance footage from Elford’s property captured the incident, showing Thimmes removing his shirt and entering the water to retrieve the item. The video also showed severe weather conditions, with heavy rain and waves that may have contributed to the accident.
Investigators conducted a thorough search of Thimmes’ residence, finding no signs of foul play, medications, or drugs.
