Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Deschutes County Sheriff's Department is continuing to investigate the death of a Bend doctor.

The body of emergency room physician Lynn McDonald was found in the Deschutes River Monday after a two-day search.

McDonald is the second person to drown in the Deschutes this year, but sheriffs say it is not known whether this most recent death was an accident  or a suicide.

McDonald was known to be in financial trouble.  He owned several unsold properties in Bend's wilting housing market and he was close to losing a mobile home park he owned.

Deschutes County Sheriff Larry Blanton says foul play is not suspected, but investigators' work continues.

Larry Blanton: “Talking with friends, family, relatives. Trying to retrace some time and history. We may never known what happened up there that night and what happened for him to be in the water, to succumb to the situation in the water there. We may never know what exactly happened there.”

Blanton says the sheriff's office worked extensively with Dr. McDonald for nearly 30 years, but that personal relationships would not cloud the investigation.