Minden, NV - On July 18, 2022, at approximately 3:50 PM, Douglas County Communications received a 911 call reporting William Dunham, a 79-year-old Genoa resident, had fallen overboard while he was attempting to tie his boat onto a mooring ball in Marla Bay in Lake Tahoe.

The conditions at the time were unfavorable due to sustained winds of 10-15 miles per hour from the southwest creating waves inside Marla Bay. Dunham was not wearing a life jacket at the time he fell into the water. After falling overboard, Dunham sank below the water’s surface.

Members of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Tahoe Douglas Fire, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, and the South Lake Tahoe Fire Department responded to the area and initiated search and rescue efforts. Dunham was located by searchers in approximately 15 to 20 feet of water.

Dunham was pronounced dead at the scene by fire personnel.