Tragedy struck Horseshoe Lake Park early Thursday when a man drowned while attempting to elude a Woodland police officer. The park was closed at the time of the incident, and the encounter commenced shortly after midnight when the officer activated patrol lights upon sighting the man who then chose to flee deeper into the park and towards the lake, KOIN reports.

Officer Olson, quickly losing sight of the individual, then decided to quickly request backup from fire and rescue services as well as other law enforcement agencies. To potentially save the man, Olson accessed life jackets from a nearby loaner station and jumped into the water, Clark County Today disclosed. Despite these swift actions, Olson was unable to locate the drowned man initially.

The search operation escalated as the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team and Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue arrived at the scene. Nevertheless, the man remained missing as the dive team conducted a thorough search through the early hours, according to accounts from The Columbian. As hours drew on, the focus grimly shifted from rescue to recovery.

After a long and arduous five-hour pass and search, the operation came to a sorrowful conclusion. Deputies, alongside the dive team, were finally able to locate the deceased male subject. The change of circumstances warranted the Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue to clear the vicinity while the CCSO continued its recovery operations, as reported by Clark County Today. The name of the deceased has been withheld pending notification of the family.