Man drowns while swimming at beach on Lake Minnetonka It's the second death on the lake in as many days. Author: A man drowned while swimming at Commons Beach on Lake Minnetonka Thursday evening. Authorities were called to the beach in Excelsior on a report of a swimmer who'd gone underwater and didn't resurface. The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Water Patrol sent three boats to search for the man, with South Lake Minnetonka Police, Excelsior Fire and the DNR also responding. A DNR conservation officer saw the swimmer underwater, and along with a Hennepin County deputy pulled him onto the patrol boat, with lifesaving measures then starting.