Paddleboarder's body recovered from beneath Lake Waconia's iced-over surface

A paddleboarder missing since late last month from his outing on a southwest metro lake has been found under the ice surface, authorities said.

A man ice fishing on Lake Waconia spotted something on his underwater camera Tuesday afternoon, and alerted law enforcement, said Carver County Sheriff's Lt. Patrick Barry.

Authorities went to the lake in Laketown Township and recovered the body of Andrew J. Stifter, 35, of Waconia, a few hundred yards from where his paddleboard had been recovered earlier, Barry said.

The fisherman "saw something that was unusual, so he called," Barry said.

Stifter's paddleboard was found shortly after 3 p.m. on Nov. 26 about 100 feet offshore.

Deputies who went to the scene learned that Stifter had gone to the lake to photograph wildlife from the board.

The Sheriff's Office called off organized searches nearly two weeks ago, once the lake had frozen over.

Stifter was married, the father of children ages 6 and 9. His wife is expecting another child in May, according to family.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482