Alaska State Troopers are investigating the death of an unidentified person whose body was recovered from a lake near Palmer Wednesday, more than a week after a report of a swimmer in distress there.
According to an AST dispatch issued late Wednesday, Palmer troopers were called to Stephan Lake at about 7:30 p.m. June 25. Responders weren't able to locate anyone in distress in the area where the swimmer was last seen, even after calling in the Mat-Su Dive and Rescue Team the next day.
A resident in the area called AST back to the lake just before 5 p.m. Wednesday after the discovery of a body, which troopers and dive team members subsequently retrieved.
AST spokesperson Beth Ipsen says that while troopers have tentatively identified the body, that belief is pending confirmation by an autopsy to be conducted by the state medical examiner's office.
"Right now it's just speculative," Ipsen said. "We just need to have SME confirm it because there's no way to tell -- there's no ID found."
Troopers say the person's next of kin haven't yet been notified.
Contact Chris Klint