Empty boat, man’s body found floating near Vashon Island

A man’s body was found floating east of Vashon Island early Wednesday, King County sheriff’s deputies said.

Before making that discovery, the Coast Guard found an empty aluminum boat, carrying a cellphone and lifejacket, in the water between Des Moines and the island, deputies said. It’s unclear if the boat and the man’s death are related.

First using a helicopter, Coast Guard officers pulled the body from the water shortly after 10 a.m., deputies said. The King County Sheriff’s Office then took over the investigation into the man’s death.

Investigators believe the man was a Vashon Island resident and 59 years old, the sheriff’s office said.

Medical examiners will formally identify him and determine his manner of death.