A Lincoln County man is believed by emergency officials to have drowned in Lake Cumberland Saturday evening.

James Keith Burchett, 32, from Kings Mountain was with a group of friends celebrating a co-worker's birthday on a small private dock, about a half a mile from the Lily Creek boat ramp, when he reportedly went to the back of the dock and never returned, according to Emergency Management Director H.M. Bottom.

Bottom said the call came in about the possible drowning at 7 p.m. and that is when the Jamestown Fire Department's divers and local rescue squad responded and searched until about 2 a.m. Sunday without finding the victim, who reportedly couldn't swim.

Sunday morning, the Pulaski County Rescue and their side scan sonar device was called in to help and Burchett's body was retrieved from about 24 ft. of water just after 12:30 p.m.

An autopsy was performed on the body Monday at the state medical examiner's office in Frankfort to determine the exact cause of death but Bottom said drowning was the likely cause.  Autopsy results are still pending.

This was the first drowning on Lake Cumberland in Russell County this summer.

Burchett worked at American Greetings in Danville.