Divers find body of missing Lake Minnetonka boater

The body of a 49-year-old Deephaven man who disappeared while spending Saturday night on a boat on Lake Minnetonka was found Sunday afternoon.

A diver from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office water patrol found the man's body in 6 to 8 feet of water after an all-day search. It was found about 20 yards from where the man's sailboat had been tied to a powerboat.

The man, who was described as a strong swimmer, was with friends and a relative sleeping on the sailboat near the shore in St. Louis Bay. When the group woke up about 8 a.m. Sunday, they realized the man was gone. About an hour later, they called police after making several phone calls to find out whether the man had gone ashore.

Authorities are unsure how the man ended up in the water, but the suspected drowning is being investigated as an accident. The Hennepin County medical examiner will release the man's identity and cause of death after an autopsy.

Nine people have drowned in Hennepin County since Memorial Day, compared with two between Memorial and Labor Day last year.

LORA PABST