CENTERVILLE, Minn. -- John Thill bought his place on Centerville Lake in Anoka County as a high school senior, saying the hotter the weather, the better the water.
"It would be perfect to go swimming," Thill said. "(But) because it is weedy like that we'll probably just fill up the kiddie pool and let them swim in that."
Authorities say that caution is wise. They say more weeds mean more danger this summer, warning that a short winter and warm spring means dense weeds that can pull even good swimmers under.
"A lot of times seeing vegetation on the top of the water makes someone think the water isn't that deep, so it gives them a false sense of security," said Anoka County Lt. Paul Lenzmeier.
Investigators don't know if that's what happened Sunday morning, when 21-year-old Thai Vang of St. Paul was fishing with a friend when their canoe tipped over. Nearby boaters saved one man, but Vang never surfaced, and dive teams recovered his body Monday afternoon after a two day search.
Thill sees the divers from his dock, saying as much as he loves the lake, this may be the first summer he stays on its shores.
"This is the first instance of (a drowning) happening here," he said. "I would be more cautious now if I were going to do something like that."
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