Updated 4 p.m. March 11, 2024: Searchers located the body of a woman who went missing after her kayak capsized on Lake Arrowhead. The 48-year-old victim has not been identified. There there are no signs of foul play, a Stafford sheriff’s spokesman said.
The woman was not wearing a life jacket. Investigators are still trying to determine how the boat capsized.
Original post: Authorities are working to recover the body of a woman who went missing today in Lake Arrowhead.
According to initial information, the woman was on a kayak that capsized on the big lake at about 2:45 p.m. A second person on the vessel swam to shore to summon help.
Fire and rescue crews were called to Oak Lane at 3:50 p.m. Stafford County Fire and Rescue deployed five boats, and Quantico used its flat-bottom boat to search the lake. The rescue effort transitioned to a recovery effort shortly before 7 p.m.
The sheriff’s office has not identified the woman, nor has it said if foul play is suspected.
Sunny conditions were deceiving, as strong winds whipped around the lake as searchers in boats and swimmers in the water searched for the woman. The high winds caused powerlines elsewhere in the county, like Route 1 and Coal Landing Road, to snap. Several tree branches also fell victim to the winds.
There are two lakes in the Lake Arrowhead subdivision. The big lake, the focus of search teams, is at least 15 feet deep.
