A man’s body was pulled from the Columbia River near Fairview Monday after he was reported missing while fishing with family, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
Initial reports stated that the man was fishing at Chinook Landing Marine Park, a boat launch area, when he went under the water and did not resurface. The sheriff’s office was notified just after 3 p.m., and search-and-rescue efforts began.
Around 6 p.m., deputies found the man’s body and recovered it from the water. His identity has not yet been released by the sheriff’s office.
The man was fishing with two of his teenage nephews when one of their lines snagged on something in the water, officials said. The teen waded deeper into the water to attempt to free the line when he began struggling to swim.
The teen managed to get back to the shore, but the uncle, who swam out to help him, went under and did not resurface, according to officials.
Monday’s incident marks the second deadly drowning on the Columbia River in two weeks. Last week, a 26-year-old died while swimming at Rooster Rock State Park.
Over the weekend, an Albany man drowned while swimming in the Willamette River near Corvallis, according to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.
As a heat wave hits the state this week, officials continue to urge Oregonians to practice water safety. The National Weather Service recommends that swimmers educate themselves on the hazards of cold water, wear life jackets, monitor children in the water and swim with a buddy for safety.
