Patrick Fitzgerald: Body found

If his body was in the lake the whole time, I wonder why they did not find him right away? Sometimes I guess things can be overlooked, or the weather or the elements can change circumstances.
From http://kdka.com/local/body.found.lake.2.628842.html:

Jan 14, 2008 6:45 am US/Eastern
Officials ID Body Found In Lake As
Missing Hunter
BURRELL TOWNSHIP (KDKA) ― Officials with the Coroner's Office in Armstrong
County say they have now positively identified the body found Sunday at a lake
as a missing hunter who disappeared in November.
State police, local fire departments and the coroner were called to Crooked
Creek Lake in Burrell Township following reports of the discovery of a
body.
"There was a call into the Armstrong 911 Center that there was a possible
body in the water," said Craig Davis, of the Burrell Township Fire
Department.
Officials with the Coroner's Office say they have now identified the body
as 45-year-old Patrick Fitzgerald, from Vandergrift.
"At the time of the recovery he was in his hunting garb as described at the
time he went missing, an orange hunting vest and did have on the hip waders,"
said Bob Bower, Armstrong County Coroner.
He went missing back in November.
Fitzgerald was last heard from by his mother when officials say he called
and told her he was just about to put his canoe in the water at the lake.
An autopsy is scheduled for today.

Here is a more recent article with some of the autopsy results. From http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08015/849324-56.stm:

Autopsy reveals Vandergrift deer hunter drowned
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A deer hunter from Vandergrift whose body was
found floating in a lake on Sunday accidentally drowned, according to the
Armstrong County coroner.
A hiker spotted Patrick M. Fitzgerald, 46, in
Crooked Creek Lake in Armstrong County near the boat launch off Robb's Fording
Road at about 4:30 p.m., according to Armstrong County Coroner Robert Bower. The
body was recovered about an hour later. Mr. Fitzgerald had been missing since
Nov. 27.
Mr. Fitzgerald often took his canoe out alone to isolated hunting
spots along Crooked Creek. After his disappearance, searchers combed the area
for days, ultimately finding his canoe, some personal belongings, his car and
his boat trailer but not Mr. Fitzgerald.
The coroner said he will complete
his autopsy of Mr. Fitzgerald today.