Man swimming across lake to Airbnb goes underwater and never resurfaces, IL coroner says
A coroner has identified the man who went underwater and never resurfaced while swimming across an Illinois lake with a colleague in early October.
Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes said 29-year-old Kameron Brown of Sardis, Ohio, drowned in Lake Sara on Oct. 1 at about 3 p.m., noting the 73-degree water temperature caused him to “cramp and become disoriented.”
Rhodes said Brown had no signs of trauma or medical emergencies when he drowned.
Brown and a colleague were working at a construction site at Lake Sara and decided to swim back to the Airbnb across the lake where they were staying, Rhodes said.
A boater saw Brown go under the water about halfway across the lake and never resurface before picking up the other swimmer and calling 911, WCIA reported.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources recovered Brown’s body Oct. 2 from the lake at a depth of about 34 feet, the coroner said.
Brown launched his own drywall company called Precision Drywall LLC after graduating from high school in 2013, according to his obituary.
Brown was known to many for his Instagram account “Itsyamankam,” where he shared photos and videos of his work.
In a Facebook post, Tim Napolitan called Brown “One of the most selfless, kindest and gentlest human beings I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing with a drive for life and work ethic few could ever match.”
“Kameron was known for his kind heart, contagious laughter, and adventurous spirit,” his obituary said. “His smile is one that will never be forgotten.”
Lake Sara is about an 85-mile drive southeast from Springfield.
This story was originally published October 23, 2024 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Man swimming across lake to Airbnb goes underwater and never resurfaces, IL coroner says."
