HOOSIER NATIONAL FOREST — A quiet Memorial Day morning turned into a major multi-agency investigation after fishermen discovered a man’s body floating near a boat ramp at Saddle Lake in the Hoosier National Forest.
The Perry County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at approximately 7:15 a.m. on Monday, May 25, from civilians who had arrived at the lake for a holiday fishing outing
First responders located the deceased male in the water immediately adjacent to the lake’s boat ramp. A vehicle belonging to the individual was also discovered parked near the scene. Authorities secured the vehicle and confirmed plans to execute a thorough search of its interior for potential evidence or clues regarding the timeline of events.
The discovery triggered a massive law enforcement response that lasted throughout the holiday. Because Saddle Lake is located within the Hoosier National Forest, the investigation falls under a blend of local, state, and federal jurisdictions. Crime scene technicians and investigators from the Perry County Sheriff’s Office, the Perry County Coroner, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the U.S. Forest Service, and the FBI spent nearly ten hours processing the scene.
To allow technicians uninterrupted access to the shoreline and surrounding woods, authorities completely shut down Saddle Lake and Saddle Lake Road for most of the day. The area was officially reopened to the public at 5:15 p.m. on Monday.
While local authorities emphasized that there are currently no known suspects and no active threat to the public, the sheriff’s department noted that every unattended death is given a high level of scrutiny from the outset.
The man’s identity is being withheld pending identification by the coroner and the notification of next of kin.
The body has been transported for a formal pathology and autopsy examination, which officials say will be crucial in determining the direction of the case. Forensic examiners will look to establish whether the cause of death was an accidental drowning, a medical emergency, self-inflicted, or the result of foul play.
“It’s not uncommon to have a drowning,” Faulkenberg said. “We’re just trying to ascertain exactly what has happened here, because you can have anything from an accidental to maybe there was something criminal involved. And that’s our concern. We want to make sure we rule out one thing or the other. And we didn’t want to leave anything to chance.”
Anyone who may have been camping, hiking, or driving near the Saddle Lake Recreational Area over the holiday weekend and witnessed unusual activity is encouraged to contact the Perry County Sheriff’s Office at 812-547-7068.
