A Bothell woman has been identified in an accidental drowning at Wallace Falls near Gold Bar last week.
Sarah A. Zimmerman was spotted in the waters below the lower falls around 4 p.m. April 25.
Search-and-rescue teams were called around 4:15 p.m., because someone had gone into the water at one of the falls, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Shari Ireton said. Visitors to the area who were taking photos noticed the body in the water and called 911.
A dive team, a SnoHAWK1 helicopter crew and firefighters responded to help with the search. The helicopter found her body but efforts to reach her were stalled by swift water and treacherous terrain. With assistance from the sheriff’s office Dive Team, Zimmerman’s body was recovered from the pond below the lower falls at Wallace Falls State Park and transported the Snohomish County Medical Examiner.
The medical examiner’s office confirmed April 26 that Zimmerman had drowned. She was 30.
After the body was found, the Sultan Police Department posted a public plea on Facebook.
“PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE remember that just because the weather may be warm, the rivers are extremely high and the water is deadly cold,” the post said. “Please stay away from the water’s edge.”
Days earlier, a Monroe woman, 22, died when she fell over a waterfall south of Highway 2 near Sultan.
Wallace Falls State Park is northeast of Gold Bar.