Helicopter rescues stranded boy from river bank

Published 5:45 pm Saturday, May 27, 2017

GRANITE FALLS — A family swim took a dangerous turn as night fell Friday near Granite Falls.

As the daylight faded, a 12-year-old boy found himself separated from his family and stuck on the opposite side of the South Fork Stillaguamish River, said Lt. Norm Link with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. “There was no way to get back to the other side without taking some serious risks.”

Emergency personnel responded to a call at about 10 p.m. Friday. However, they could not reach the stranded boy, who is from Tulalip.

Unable to climb up the river bank, the boy eventually was hoisted out by a helicopter operated by the sheriff’s office.

He was unhurt, Link said.

The rescue occurred near where Jordan Road crosses the river.