CORNELIUS, N.C. — State officials identified the swimmer who went missing in Lake Norman on July Fourth.
Multiple crews responded to a report of a possible drowning around 5 p.m. in Cornelius. Numerous agencies were called to the scene, including the Huntersville Fire Department, Cornelius Fire Department and Denver Fire Department.
Multiple rescue crews spent days on Lake Norman, working through severe heat and heavy boat traffic to find the missing swimmer, later identified as 27-year-old Miles Merritt. His body was found around 11 p.m. Saturday.
The search was centered around an area near a popular sand bar. Merritt's body was located in that search area on Saturday night.
"Thank you to our law enforcement partners for keeping the area safe and secure while the area was searched," a Cornelius Fire Department spokesperson said.
Medic crews were dispatched to the lake Thursday, but the agency did not return to the lake on Friday.
It's unclear why Merritt went underwater and did not resurface.
Cornelius Fire Department said it would like to remind everyone who is out on the water to wear their life jackets.
All boaters were asked to stay away from Marker D4 and the sand bar while crews searched for the swimmer, but keeping boats out of the area was a difficult task on such a busy lake weekend, fire officials said.
"We would like to thank Cornelius PD, Sherrill's Ford FD, Huntersville FD, Denver FD, Mooresville FD, Lincoln County PD, Iredell County Sherriff's, Char-Meck Emergency Management, and NC Wildlife Commission for all their help," the spokesperson said.
WCNC Charlotte will update this story once new information is shared.
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