LAKE MENDOCINO – Lake Mendocino's fifth drowning of the year took place this week.

At 6 p.m. Wednesday divers recovered the body of a young man who had been reported missing two and a half hours earlier by the lake's south boat ramp, according to a Thursday report from Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Just after 3:30 p.m. Wednesday deputies responded to a call regarding a possible missing person, Smallcomb said.

Arriving at the scene, they learned that several persons were recreational swimming in the area just south of Lake Mendocino south boat ramp when one of their friends was seen struggling in the water, and then disappeared from sight. Smallcomb said the friends made several immediate attempts to locate the missing swimmer with negative results.

The Sheriff's Office Volunteer Search and Rescue Dive Team was called to the scene, Smallcomb said. Several members of the dive team's black water unit arrived within and hour and began to search.

At approximately 6 p.m. divers located the missing male in about 15 feet of water in the area where he was last seen swimming with friends, according to Smallcomb's report.

Foul play isn't believed to be involved, and drugs and alcohol do not seem to have contributed to the drowning, Smallcomb said.

Next of kin contact was pending on Thursday, said Smallcomb. Also on Thursday, an autopsy was scheduled.