Man found dead in submerged car in first reported death in Washington floods

Swimmers find driver, believed to be 33-year-old man, and vehicle in about 6ft of water in a ditch in Snohomish area

A man who drove past warning signs was found dead in a car submerged in flood waters near Seattle, Washington, on Tuesday, in the first reported death following a week of heavy rain and flooding in the region.

Rescue swimmers found the driver and his vehicle in about 6ft (1.8 meters) of water in a ditch in the Snohomish area north-east of Seattle, the Snohomish county sheriff’s office said in a news release. The driver, believed to be a 33-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene after lifesaving measures failed, officials said. No one else was in the car and the death was under investigation.