8-year-old boy drowns in Federal Way’s Steel Lake

Published 10:16 am Friday, July 10, 2026

Steel Lake is known for its cold, murky and deep water.

An 8-year-old boy has drowned in Steel Lake in Federal Way.

On the evening of Tuesday, July 7, Hamza Mohamed Dahir was last seen at Steel Lake where he had removed his shoes and waded into the lake water. When his family could not locate him, 911 was called and South King Fire was dispatched to search the lake.

“Ten swimmers for over three hours looked for the child,” said South King Fire’s Community Affairs Officer Eric Kiphart. “It’s cold, deep, very murky water and at the very bottom are watermilfoil, a type of water plant that’s very thick. The last 3 to 4 feet from the bottom is really thick with it.”

Kiphart explained that the rescue team had to suspend the search at around 11:48 p.m.

“King County Sheriffs and Federal Way Police had a couple of bloodhounds come in and do a thorough search of the area and everything led back to the water,” he told The Federal Way Mirror newspaper.

At first light, the dive team resumed their search and found young Dahir, whose drowned body was removed from the lake around 9:30 a.m. on July 8.

A GoFundMe has been made to help support Dahir’s funeral expenses.

“After going missing last night, Hamza was found this morning. It has been confirmed that he has returned back to Allah. His passing has left his mother, family, and everyone who knew and loved him devastated,” said a July 8 post by Amal Hassan on the donation page.

A popular place for swimming, fishing, kayaking and paddleboarding, Steel Lake is 46.3 acres and reaches a depth of 24 feet at its center. Mostly surrounded by homes, the southern part of the lake is connected to Steel Lake Park and according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the lake’s depth goes from zero to 5 to 10 feet a short distance from the park’s shore.

Steel Lake is a city-owned park at 2410 S. 312th St.