Body Of Granite Falls Man Who Went Missing In Banks Lake Recovered Using Underwater Robot

The body of a Western Washington man who is believed to have drowned in Banks Lake late last month has been recovered.

The Grant County Sheriff's Office says 34-year-old Brandon Belcher of Granite Falls was found on Tuesday afternoon in about 130 feet of water near to where he was last seen alive.

Belcher was reportedly boating with a group of friends near Northrup Point a few miles south of Electric City on July 30 when he jumped into the water and failed to surface.

Sheriff's officials say the incident happened about 1,500 feet from the shores along State Route 155.

The discovery of Belcher's body culminated an extensive search by the Sheriff's Office that involved several assisting agencies and multiple pieces of advanced locating equipment.

Sheriff's spokesperson, Kyle Foreman, tells KPQ News Belcher's remains were found using a submersible robot from the King County Sheriff's Office, and that both the Kittitas and Pierce County Sheriff's Offices also assisted in the search.

Belcher's body is now in the care of the Grant County Coroner's Office, who will conduct an autopsy this week to confirm his exact cause and manner of death, which Foreman says is likely to be accidental drowning.