TACOMA, Wash. — Tacoma police are investigating after a University Place man drowned in a waterway behind a popular park on Monday.
Police, the city of Tacoma and Metro Parks Tacoma are all investigating after a 68-year-old man swimming in Puget Sound drowned and was found by first responders in a lagoon behind Titlow Park.
The man was identified by the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office as Robert Logan Jr. from University Place.
The incident happened in a lagoon that’s connected to Puget Sound by a culvert that moves water under the railroad track. Park regular Mohamed Dobashi showed a spot behind Titlow Park that is known to be a hazard for swimmers.
“It’s something that shocked us all I think – it definitely shocked my family and they’ve been here all their life,” Dobashi said.
Just days after the incident, parkgoers are left to speculate about a tragic loss during one of the hottest days of the year.
A Metro Parks spokesperson said there was a plan proposed more than 10 years ago to replace the culvert with a train trestle which would allow water to flow more freely between the two bodies of water. Two designs were presented to the community as recently as last summer.
The area is managed by several agencies including the Department of Natural Resources, City of Tacoma and Metro Parks. All three entities are discussing plans to add signage to both the beach and the lagoon in the future, a Metro Parks spokesperson said.
Officials said this is the first death in the Titlow area in recent memory.