Swimmer Dies After Drowning At Mercer Island Park

MERCER ISLAND, WA — A swimmer who drowned at a Mercer Island park and was later revived has died, according to the King County Medical Examiner.

Manikkalal Pillai, 37, slipped underwater at Groveland Beach park around 2 p.m. Sunday. He was pulled out of Lake Washington by bystanders, who also performed CPR. Medics were able to revive Pillai on the way to Overlake Hospital in Bellevue.

Pillai died at Overlake on Wednesday, according to the medical examiner. His death was ruled an accident.

Pillai is the second person to drown at a Mercer Island park this summer. On July 21, Peter Lee, 45, fell off his paddleboard in the water not far from the shore at Luther Burbank Park. He was not wearing a life jacket, and was not a strong swimmer, according to authorities. Lee was underwater for about an hour as rescue crews from Mercer Island, King County, and Renton searched for him.

Neither Groveland Beach nor Luther Burbank Park have lifeguards due to Mercer Island's ongoing budget crisis. Lifeguards were cut, among other programs and services, last winter after the failure of Proposition 1.