CASCADE LOCKS, Ore. (KGW) — A missing 19-year-old is presumed to have drowned after being swept out to the Columbia River early Wednesday afternoon, according to the Hood River Sherriff’s Department.
As of Wednesday evening, the Hood River Sherriff’s Department, U.S. Coast Guard and local tribe agencies had yet to recover the missing teen’s body.
The search has been suspended and will resume Thursday focusing on recovery, confirmed to KGW by the Hood River Sherriff’s Department Deputy Joel Ives.
Around 1:15 p.m., the Hood River SD reported receiving a call regarding a teen that went missing after jumping off the Bridge of the Gods footbridge between the boat launch area and Thunder Island with a group. He got swept out from those waters and out to the Columbia River.
The Coast Guard tweeted around 4:59 p.m. to report that the Air Station Astoria helicopter aircrew and partnering agencies were assisting in the search for the teen in Cascade Locks, Oregon.
At 6:44 p.m. the Coast Guard updated the public that local tribal agencies and personnel will continue to search for the missing teen. While the Coast Guard will hold off their search pending the development of new information. They also reported searching 46 nautical miles of the Columbia River for two and a half hours. Sending out condolences, they stated, “Our deepest heartfelt condolences go out to the friends and family of the missing man during this unimaginably difficult time.”
Earlier in the afternoon, Cascade Locks Fire and EMS posted on Facebook with an image of responders at the scene reporting that they also have responded to the search efforts for the missing teen. A Facebook user under the post, by the name of Jim Clark, described conditions at Thunder Island as “dangerous” and claimed to have witnessed a dog nearly drown Wednesday.
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