Missing Doctor Zella Found Dead

A nearly week long search for a popular psychiatrist who fell into Clear Lake while kayaking ended this week when his body was found under a pile of debris and pulled from the water.

Authorities identified the victim as Stephen Zella, 38. He worked at a Nassau Bay hospital. Friends said Zella was new to kayaking when he took a late-morning glide on the lake Feb. 20.
The husband and father of two was found dead by a diver several days later, trapped under debris near a bridge, said Texas EquuSearch search coordinator Frank Black. The volunteer organization was called out to help assist with the search.

“He was found in almost the same area he disappeared in,” Black said. “That made it that much harder for us to locate him.”
On the day of his disappearance, officials said two motorists driving past the lake spotted a kayaker struggling in the water about 11:30 a.m. in the area of 5000 NASA Parkway . But by the time the motorists and fire department got the scene, the kayaker was no longer visible.

Texas EquuSearch, the Nassau Fire Department and officials with Harris County Constable Precinct 8 asked the public for assistance finding shallow water boats, jet skis and foot searchers to aid in the rescue effort.
Officials setup a command center at Clear Lake Park as Zella’s wife Rhonda and children Remington, 11 and Maxwell, 8 along with other family members and friend anxiously awaited new developments.
People driving sonar-equipped boats, kayaks and wave runners along with divers and foot searchers hit the water and by Monday, Zella still hadn’t been found.

In the days following, efforts to locate Zella were hampered by the staggering amount of debris lying on the lake floor.\

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