LANSING, N.Y. — Police have identified a man from McGraw who drowned in Cayuga Lake Saturday.
Timothy J. Butler, 58, was found at 11:31 p.m. Sunday in 63-feet of water north of Myers Park by the New York State Police Dive Team.
He went missing Saturday afternoon while swimming, just after 3:30 p.m. Rescue crews from throughout the county searched for him for hours on Saturday, with divers searching the area until about 3 a.m. Sunday.
After a round of thunderstorms moved through the area Sunday afternoon, divers resumed searching for him.
The Tompkins County Sheriff's Department released the following information about the incident:
On Saturday August 20, 2016 at about 3:37 PM deputies from the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office responded to Myers Park in the Town of Lansing for a report of a person in the water north of Myers Park who was no longer visible. Also responding to Myers Park area was the Lansing Fire Department and the Ithaca Fire Department with their rescue boats and crews to assist in the rescue. Once confirmation was established that a person was in the water, rescue crews searched the area where witnesses last observed the victim. The New York State Police Dive Team was contacted and responded to assist.
Several other area fire department dive units responded to the Myers Park to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts. The NYSP Dive Team utilized sonar to search the lake until about 3:00 AM on Sunday August 21, 2016. They were unable to locate the victim, who has been identified as Timothy J. Butler age 58 of McGraw, New York. Search efforts were suspended at that time and scheduled to resume later in the day on Sunday.
On Sunday August 21, 2016 at about 11:31 PM the New York State Police Dive Team located and recovered Butler's body in about 63 feet of water in the area north of Myers Park. Assisting in the recovery efforts were the New York State Police and Bangs Ambulance. Other agencies that provided assistance during the event was Romulus Fire Department, Union Springs Fire Department, Trumansburg Fire Department, Cayuga County Marine Unit, Auburn Fire Department Marine Unit, Onondaga County Dive Team, and the Pine City Fire Department Dive Team.
