South Lake Tahoe man dies at Lake Baron while walking dogs

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A 39-year-old South Lake Tahoe man drowned in Lake Baron in Meyers on Thanksgiving Day.

David Schmidt was walking his dogs Cheena and Oreo along with a friend's dog at Tahoe Paradise Park. According to close friends, it appears one of the dogs fell through the ice and David went to save him. David left his keys, wallet, phone and jacket on the shore and went onto the ice when he broke through. Friends said he would be too smart to just walk onto thin ice without a good reason.

At about noon, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO) responded to the park on a report of a possible drowning. Upon arrival, they found cold-weather clothing in the lake near the area where it is believed Schmidt had fallen in but they could not find him.

The three dogs were taken to an area veterinarian and have since been released to friends.

The search continued into the evening. The EDSO Dive Team, along with Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Boat Team, Lake Valley Fire, South Lake Tahoe Fire, and EDSO Search and Rescue continued to search for the missing man on Friday.

Douglas County Sheriffs Office utilized their advanced ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) and it was able to locate and recover Schmidt.

There were no signs of foul play and all signs indicate that this was a tragic accident, according to EDSO PIO Sgt. Anthony Prencipe.

Friends of Schmidts were following the unfolding tragedy on social media and leaving him unanswered messages on Facebook. Dozens of tributes to their well-liked friend have since been left.

Next of kin notifications have been made.