Man found in Lake Mendota was Edgewood College student

Officials have identified the man who reportedly went into Lake Mendota from a boat near Memorial Union and died in the water, according to Dane County Sheriff David Mahoney.

The Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the man as 22-year-old Mohammad Salih Saeed Bagabir, of Madison.

Bagabir’s body was recovered just before 10 a.m. Monday from 60 feet of water about three-quarters of a mile offshore from Memorial Union, according to Mahoney.

A statement from Edgewood College states that Bagabir was an undergraduate student and had just completed his second year. He planned to major in business administration.

“Hamood will be remembered for his cheerful disposition. He enjoyed his many friendships, tennis, and being part of the SSOE – Saudi Student Organization at Edgewood.”

Crews were called to the lake about 6 p.m. Saturday. Before the call for help, a group of people were swimming in the lake, about 400 yards from Memorial Union, when they noticed that one person was missing.

The Wisconsin Hoofer sailboat was carrying eight other passengers at the time of the incident, according to deputies. Witnesses said the 22-year-old jumped in the water to cool off and quickly disappeared.

The Dane County medical examiner said preliminary results of the autopsy are pending further studies, but foul play is not suspected.

Mahoney said new side-scan sonar helped find the body faster than it would have taken in the past.

Mahoney said they believe that the victim was not a strong swimmer and that he drowned. He said others on the boat were going into the water to cool off. There were no obvious signs of injury.