CENTER — An 18-year-old Port Hadlock man who drowned Sunday evening had a great future ahead of him, those who knew him said Monday.
“He was an all around great kid,” said Chimacum High School Principal Whitney Meissner of Max Swenson, a 2014 graduate of the school.
“He had a great sense of humor, he liked to make people laugh and got along with everyone.”
“He was a lover of life,” said his mother, Jacqueline Carpenter of Seattle.
“He brought light and joy to everyone he met.”
Carpenter and Swenson’s father, Randy Swenson of Port Hadlock, heard the same word — joy — several times during the condolences they received Monday.
“He had a very quiet disposition but always pursued his goals,” Carpenter said.
Swenson was swimming in Sandy Shore Lake just south of state Highway 104 at around 5:30 p.m. when witnesses reported him yelling for help before going under water, according to a news release from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies swam to Swenson’s last known location but were unable to locate him due to low visibility in the water.
The lake is on lands owned by Pope Resources.
A boat and dive teams were called to the lake and began searching for Swenson, recovering his body at 8:30 p.m., according to the release.
He was pronounced dead by medics who were on the scene.
Carpenter said her son was “a moderate swimmer,” and attributed the drowning to cold water and cramping.
A memorial service is planned for 1 p.m. June 23 at the Chimacum High School gym, 91 West Valley Road.
Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Assistant Manager Chris Macklin lauded Swenson’s abilities in an April 24, 2014, letter of reference.
“He is a very responsible person who takes initiative to serve others, and his service has been invaluable for the development and encouragement for the community,” Macklin wrote.
After hearing about Swenson’s death, Macklin called it “a tragic loss” in an email to Meissner, adding “I am stunned and saddened by this news.”
During the rescue attempt, the sheriff’s department was assisted by the Brinnon Fire District, Port Ludlow Fire District and diver volunteers from Lobo Del Mar.
Swenson had completed one year of school at Washington State University and planned to pursue a career in sports management, his mother said.
He was a “fan of everything Seattle, even the Sonics,” his father said.
Along with his parents, Swenson is survived by three siblings, Josiah Pauletti, 29, and Justin Pauletti, 27, both of Seattle and Jasmine Simpson, 24, of Edmonds.
A slideshow video tribute to Swenson assembled by one of his friends, Troy Kirin, was posted Sunday.
To view with the video, visit http://tinyurl.com/PDN-Max.
Swenson’s remains were taken to Kosec Funeral Home in Port Townsend for a coroner’s investigation.
Service arrangements are pending.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
