SOUTH HERO — Vermont State Police have identified the body found in Lake Champlain as 39-year-old Silas W. Smith of Plattsburgh, New York.
Smith’s body was discovered floating near Kibbe Point on Sunday afternoon by a homeowner who reported the finding to police shortly after noon.
The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office has listed the cause and manner of death as pending further investigation and testing, including toxicology results.
Investigators have found no evidence to suggest the death is suspicious at this point in the investigation.
First responders from multiple agencies, including fire departments from Alburgh, Grand Isle, North Hero and South Hero, along with South Hero Rescue and the U.S. Coast Guard, assisted in recovering the body from the water.
The investigation involves members of the Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Field Force Division and Victim Services Unit, with assistance from the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department and Grand Isle County State’s Attorney Doug DiSabito.
Authorities are asking anyone who may have seen Smith in the Lake Champlain Islands, particularly in South Hero, from Saturday into Sunday to contact the St. Albans Barracks at 802-524-5993.
Police are also encouraging people with relevant information to submit anonymous tips online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
The investigation remains ongoing, and state police have promised to provide updates as more information becomes available.
