Andy Schmidt, 42, Identified After Lake Cumberland Drowning

RUSSELL COUNTY, Kentucky - Officials identified a Lexington man who drowned while swimming near Lake Cumberland Marina over the weekend as Andy Schmidt, 42.

WKYT reported that Schmidt lived and worked in Lexington and had been swimming near the marina in Russell County. Friends told the station that a group had discussed swimming across a channel, estimated at about 100 yards. They said Schmidt appeared to struggle on the return trip and went under.

The report said search crews recovered his body the following day. Officials described the death as a likely drowning. It also reported a separate drowning elsewhere on Lake Cumberland that weekend; the two incidents were not presented as connected.

Life jackets were a concern

Officials in Pulaski and Russell counties said neither man who drowned that weekend was wearing a life jacket, according to WKYT. That detail is relevant to water-safety reporting, but it does not establish every circumstance of either death.

Friends remembered Schmidt as someone close to the people around him. This article does not add unverified personal details or speculate about the incident beyond what was attributed to officials and witnesses in the source report.

The report distinguishes an official identification from friends' recollections, which helps preserve the difference between verified facts and witness context.

What readers should know

The available reporting identifies Schmidt, the location, the search and the account from friends. Anyone seeking the latest official information should consult local authorities or emergency-management updates rather than reposts that do not name a source.

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