Body of Missing Bass Lake Swimmer Recovered Friday Morning

The search for a missing Bass Lake swimmer came to an end early Friday morning when his body was recovered by the Bass Lake Fire Department dive team.

DNR Officer Tyler Brock said the body of 37-year-old Anthony Cohn was found just after 6 a.m.  The Starke County Coroner’s office will continue with an autopsy and a subsequent investigation with law enforcement, if necessary.  

Officers say Cohn was witnessed standing on a sandbar in Bass Lake shortly before 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday when the wind released the anchor of a boat he was with from the sand.  The boat reportedly began to rapidly float away and Cohn swam after it.  Cohn entered deeper water and went under the surface and did not resurface, according to the report.

Emergency personnel were notified and Conservation officers immediately responded.  Officers say searches were conducted over the course of the past few days with sonar equipment and dive personnel from multiple agencies.

Indiana Conservation Officers were initially assisted at the scene by the Starke County Sheriff’s Office, Bass Lake Fire Department, Koontz Lake Fire Department, Starke County EMS, Starke County Dispatch Center, and Indiana Conservation Officers Central Dispatch Center.