Officials have identified the man whose body was pulled from Lake Washington near Juanita Beach Park June 5 as 56-year-old August Reyes, of Kirkland.
Police found the missing boater about 20 feet offshore just after noon Friday. King County Medical examiners are still investigating the cause of his death.
On June 4, Reyes and his friend, 49, left Ivar’s Restaurant and headed east on a 16-foot runabout on Lake Union. The boat eventually ran out of gas and drifted north of the 520 bridge.
Reyes got into the water but the wind pushed the boat away. He could not swim fast enough to get back to the boat. His friend, who was driving, got into the water with a seat cushion to try and help Reyes, but the boat drifted away from him as well.
The driver lost sight of Reyes and swam approximately 90 minutes until he reached Kirkland shore at about 12:35 a.m. and called police. The Kirkland Police notified the King County Sheriff’s Office and a search began. The boat was found an hour later just north of Juanita Park.
The Sheriff’s office believes that alcohol may have been a contributing factor in the incident.
Obituary
Reyes was born on September 13, 1952 in Colton, Calif., the son of Socorro and Maria Reyes. He attended Aquimas and San Bernadino State University.
He worked at the Boeing Company as a test operator and was the owner and operator of a Martial Arts Studio in Bullhead City, Ariz. He served in the U.S. Army, in Viet Nam, as a Medical Corpsman and was honorably discharged in 1974. Reyes moved to Kirkland in 1994.
He enjoyed traveling, motorcycle trips, fishing, gardening, martial arts and cooking. He loved life, music and cooking for his friends. He is remembered by his family as a kind man who also lent a helping hand to his friends and those less fortunate. His keen sense of humor will be missed.
Reyes is survived by his mother, Maria and his sisters Camilla and Cassandra all of Colton, California; his companion and girlfriend of 15 years, Dorothy Cameron of Kirkland, Washington and many friends. Donations preferred to Alzeihmer’s research or Eastside Search and Rescue.
Friends are invited to share memories, view photos and sign the family’s on-line guestbook at www.flintofts.com.
