OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — A young concert musician and college student drowned Monday afternoon while swimming in the Devil’s Punchbowl area of Lake Crescent, authorities said Tuesday.
The body of Jesse Sayre Thanem, 20, was located by National Park Service scuba divers in about 55 feet of water.
He was reported missing by a friend at 12:45 p.m. Monday. The two had been swimming together for about 10 minutes.
When the friend could not find Thanem, he walked nearby trails looking for him.
“I think he came to a realization and ran back,” said Jesse’s father, Rick Thanem.
“We don’t know exactly what happened yet.”
Olympic National Park rangers responded and located Thanem’s body.
Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Thanem was pronounced dead at the scene at about 1:25 p.m., according to an Olympic National Park spokesperson.
Rocky cove
The Devil’s Punchbowl is a narrow, rocky cove on Lake Crescent along the Spruce Railroad Trail.
Its depth, which can reach up to 200 feet, makes it a popular swimming and diving area.
“This tragedy underscores the dangers associated with swimming, especially in areas without lifeguards,” said Olympic National Park Superintendent Bill Laitner.
Olympic National Park spokeswoman Barb Maynes said the delay in releasing the information until Tuesday was due to the need to notify the victim’s next of kin.
Thanem was the son of Rick and Debi Thanem, who own The Violin Shop at 922 S. C St. in Port Angeles.
He was a 2004 graduate of Port Angeles High School and had been attending Peninsula College, where he was studying radiology.
Thanem had played cello for 11 years, including in the Port Angeles High School Orchestra, and spent a season playing with his father in the Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra.
“That was really rewarding,” Rick Thanem said.
The younger Thanem also played guitar and mandolin for four years.
