Divers recovered the body of a Troy resident at the Blue Lagoons swimming area six miles northwest of Bovill Monday morning.
According to the Latah County Sheriff’s Office, 39-year-old Roger Birchmier was swimming with a church group Sunday afternoon when he went missing. Members of the Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team searched for Birchmier for almost three hours Sunday evening, and resumed the search at 8 a.m. Monday.
Divers located Birchmier in about 20 feet of water at approximately 9:30 a.m.
The Latah County Sheriff’s Office received the first report that Birchmier was missing just after 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Sheriff’s deputies, Deary Fire and Ambulance, the dive team, and a Life Flight air ambulance all responded to the scene.
Although the incident appears to an accidental drowning, more witness interviews will be conducted in the coming days as the investigation progresses. The official cause of death will be determined by the Latah County Coroner’s Office following an autopsy.
