Possible drowning in the Columbia River near Frenchman’s Bar
A man in his twenties went down at Frenchman’s Bar in Vancouver about four feet from the waterfront and never came back up.
VANCOUVER, Wash. – Search and rescue teams searched for a man who may have drowned in the Columbia River on Sunday night but were unable to find him.
Witnesses called 911 at around 5:45 p.m. Sunday and said a man in his early 20s went underwater and never reappeared at Frenchman’s Bar in Vancouver, about 4.5 meters from the waterfront. Friends of the man said he was not a strong swimmer and did not wear a life jacket.
Several agencies from Vancouver and Portland responded and the Coast Guard was notified. A large group of people by the river also tried to find the man.
Rescue workers searched the man with swimmers searching through bars, boats performing towing operations and scanning the river with radar. The crews switched from rescue to salvage operations after about an hour. The man had not been found until Sunday evening.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office took over the search to continue diving operations.
The Vancouver Fire Department said they want beachgoers to know that local river currents can be deceptively strong and advises people to wear life jackets for safety.
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