Man drowns in West Virginia's Cheat Lake while boating with wife and dog

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. (KDKA) -- A Fayette County man drowned in West Virginia's Cheat Lake while boating with his wife and dog on Sunday, officials said.

Sixty-one-year-old Jeffrey Gerhardt of Smock, Pennsylvania, went into the water to get a dog doy but started to struggle on his way back, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources said in a news release. Gerhardt, who wasn't wearing a life jacket, went under and didn't resurface.

Officer J.B. Smith, the dive team coordinator for the Division of Natural Resources, says that while they don't know what caused Gerhardt to start to struggle, conditions weather-wise were seemingly optimal for water recreation.

"The conditions were pretty good yesterday," said Smith. "It was a warm day, relatively calm. The water temperature would have been in the upper 70s. Clear water and calm, low wind and no current."

Police with the Division of Natural Resources got a call about the possible drowning around 12:30 p.m. Divers were sent to the lake in the area of Morgan Run Road. After searching for hours, officials said a diver found Gerhardt's body around 4:30 p.m.

"Governor Jim Justice, Director McMillion, Colonel Bobby Cales, and the rest of the West Virginia Natural Resources Police would like to extend its condolences during this difficult time to the to the Gerhardt family but is satisfied the newly formed dive team could be of service to the citizens of West Virginia and its visitors to bring closure to this tragic event," the Division of Natural Resources said in a statement.

Cheat Lake is nestled in the Allegheny Mountains outside of Morgantown, about an hour and a half from Pittsburgh.

Officer Smith says that now is the time to remined everyone about water safety.

"At the Division of Natural Resources, we really like to preach and tell folks, please anytime you get in the water, wear your life jacket," said Smith. "No matter how good of a swimmer you may be, you never know whether the bottom conditions may change, water conditions, your physical abilities may have changed since the last time you were in the water. So please have a life jacket close by that fits you well and please wear it every time you enter the water."