Portland Fire & Rescue Responds to Drowning in Columbia River
Posted @ 6:05 pm
At Approx. 1:00 pm today Portland Fire & Rescue responded to reports of a man who had jumped into the river from a boat and never resurfaced. The man was reportedly not wearing a life preserver when he went into the water. The incident occurred just off of the Eastern tip of Hayden Island near a wing dam.
Portland Fire & Rescue divers and boats responded to the area and began working to find the man. PF&R worked with Port of Portland, the Vancouver Fire Department, the Multnomah County Sheriff's and the Clark County Sheriff's. American Medical Response (ambulance) and the US Coast Guard stood by to provide assistance as needed. Unfortunately the man wasn't found.
Approx. 2 hours into the incident divers were pulled from the water and the full control of the incident was turned over to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. At this point the incident has transitioned from a rescue to a recovery operation. The man's name and age won't be released by PF&R and any related questions should be directed to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office.
Portland Fire & Rescue asks that you wear a life preserver when in or near local rivers streams and lakes.