Portland resident drowns at Glacier National Park over 4th of July weekend

A Portland resident drowned in Glacier National Park over the Fourth of July weekend.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A Portland resident drowned in Glacier National Park over the Fourth of July weekend.

On Saturday evening, a 28-year-old man from Nepal was swimming with friends in Lake McDonald near Sprague Creek Campground. According to friends, he was an inexperienced swimmer. He was about 30 yards (27 meters) from shore when he started to struggle and went underwater at about 6:25 p.m.

The lake is shallower near the edge, but there is a large drop-off in the area where the man went under, said park spokeswoman Gina Icenoggle. The Flathead County Sheriff's Office dive team recovered his body in 35 to 40 feet (11 to 12 meters) of water at about 8:20 p.m.

The man was living and working in Portland and was on vacation with friends.

Park officials have contacted the Nepal and India consulates for assistance in contacting the victims' families. Their names have not been released.

Drowning is the leading cause of death in Glacier National Park, officials said.