Body of Missing Lake Chelan Swimmer Recovered After Two-Week Search

The body of a man who disappeared while swimming in Lake Chelan on the Fourth of July has been recovered.

Chelan County Sheriff's Office said the body of 43-year-old Dustin Haunio was recovered from about 250 feet below the surface on Friday, July 17. Chelan County Coroner Earl Crowe said Haunio died as a result of accidental drowning.

The sheriff's office said the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office sent its sonar team with an additional tow-behind side-scan sonar Wednesday, July 15. They located and marked an object that required further investigation.

As a result, Seattle Police Department Harbor Patrol responded with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and confirmed the object was human remains. The ROV successfully recovered the remains.

Haunio was first reported missing at approximately 2:30 p.m. on July 4 near Lake Chelan State Park. Deputies received a report that Haunio jumped in the water from a boat to swim, and they were unable to locate him. Multiple agencies and citizens in the area assisted in looking for Haunio for nearly three hours and were unable to locate him.

The Chelan County Sheriff's Office thanked the agencies assisting, saying their specialized equipment was instrumental in recovering Haunio and bringing closure to his family.