A Nevada National Guardsman was found after he recently died in a boating accident at Pyramid Lake.

Senior Airman Michael Anthony Beaton, 26, was a member of the 152nd Maintenance Squadron of the Nevada Air National Guard, officials said in a news release.

Another boater spotted Beaton's unoccupied truck Monday night near the lake's shoreline at Popcorn Beach and noticed the driver never returned, said Don Pelt, emergency response coordinator for the Pyramid Lake Fire Rescue/EMS.

The boater called local police, but by then, it was too dark to continue searching for him, Pelt said.

Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe police searched for Beaton and found his body on Tuesday at Anahoe Island on the other side of the lake, Pelt said.

The Washoe County Sheriff's Office's RAVEN helicopter and the Pyramid Lake Rangers also helped in the search, Nevada Air National Guard officials said in a news release Wednesday.

"A tragic accident has taken the life of one of our own," Col. Karl Stark, commander of the 152nd Airlift Wing, said in a statement Tuesday. "The Nevada Air National Guard is a close-knit family and losses such as these are especially difficult."

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends," he said in the statement.

The cause of death was not immediately known and is pending an autopsy from the Washoe County Medical Examiner's Office. Tribal police said Beaton was wearing a lifejacket.

Beaton was a recent Las Vegas resident and spent four years on active duty with the U.S. Air Force. He joined the Nevada Air National Guard in April last year.

Beaton earned several awards including the Air Force Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Authorities were still investigating his death as of Wednesday.

Check with RGJ for more updates as they become available.

Marcella Corona covers breaking news for the Reno Gazette-Journal. Contact her at 775-788-6340, online at mcorona@rgj.com or follow her on Twitter at@Marcella_Anahi or on Facebook at Facebook.com/Marcella.Anahi

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