KANOPOLIS LAKE — Search and rescue crews worked for more than a day to recover two swimmers who drowned July 3.

Ellsworth County Sheriff Kenny Bernard said three individuals were swimming near a boat July 3, when the boat drifted away in the wind.

Reagen Dalke, a 14-year-old girl, made it to shore near Kimble Point with the assistance of another camper. She was initially taken to Lindsborg Community Hospital, then airlifted to Wichita in serious condition.

Multiple emergency response agencies responded to the 7:21 p.m. call July 3.

According to Bernard, the trio was swimming south of Kimble Point.

“They were 500-600 yards out,” he said. “She was swimming with the flow of the wind.”

While Dalke was rescued Thursday night, the search for her father, 40-year-old Jerrod Dalke, Moundridge, and 14-year-old friend Khloe Hein, continued. Three dive teams assisted with the recovery efforts.

The bodies of Jerrod Dalke and Hein were recovered at 12:45 p.m. July 5.

Bernard said he was at the lake ahead of the holiday weekend.

“We had heavy winds blowing,” he said. “There weren’t many boats on the water because of the wind conditions at that time (Thursday).”

Dive teams were in the water most of July 4, searching.

“The winds picked up earlier,” Bernard said. “We had to pull our dive squads out because of the wind. They use kayaks for diving — they were taking on water because the waves were that high.”

Bernard said incident command utilized the Venango boat ramp as headquarters. Lake visitors were re-routed to other boat ramps for water access.

“It was a holiday weekend, everything was full,” he said.

By 7 a.m. July 4, search crews were in the water.

“Our divers are in water — they said there was roughly 6 inches of vision. They were using lights to work their way along.”

The rocky north shore made work slow.

“Persons can float and get trapped under there because of the rough, rocky edge of the north shore,” he said.

Divers and rescue searchers had to contend with wind during the day.

“When you get on the north side of the lake and wind is blowing out of the southsoutheast, there are big waves on that side,” Bernard said. “It picks up and starts rolling across that lake.”

Bernard said the water temperature was 82 degrees at 31 feet deep.

“It’s normally not that warm,” he said. “That affects dynamics of the search.”

Lake visitors were respectful of rescue workers,

“The winds picked up earlier. We had to pull our dive squads out because of the wind. They use kayaks for diving — they were taking on water because the waves were that high.”

Kenny Bernard

Ellsworth County Sheriff “The citizens at the lake were very cooperative,” he said. “They knew what was going on. I had people asking questions, wanting to know what they could do.”

In addition to visitors, Bernard said boaters offered assistance.

“We had fishermen that have advanced sonar equipment in their (boats) ... they volunteered their equipment,” he said.

Volunteers assisted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“Army Corps has the boats with the most advanced sonar system,” Bernard said. “Thank goodness for that.”

Agencies who assisted with the response, search and rescue efforts were McPherson Fire Department, Great Bend Fire Department, Saline County Sheriff ’s Mounted Patrol and Rescue Squad, Ellsworth County Sheriff ’s Office, Lyons Police Department, Marquette EMS, Lindsborg EMS, McPherson EMS, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, the Kansas Highway Patrol, McPherson County Emergency Management and Ellsworth County Emergency Management.

McPherson County Dispatch and Ellsworth County Dispatch coordinated communication for rescue efforts.

Bernard said the preliminary cause of death is drowning.

“There is a forensic investigation being completed, (which was) ordered by the coroner after reviewing with family,” he said. “The forensic will give us more exact (information).”

Bernard said the last drowning at Kanopolis Lake was about eight years ago.