Man drowns attempting to rescue pet pig from Wenatchee River

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Associated Press

WENATCHEE — Police say a 45-year-old man drowned while trying to rescue a pet pig that had fallen into the Wenatchee River near the town of Monitor.

The man was floating down the river on an inflatable tube with his adult son and the pig Sunday evening when the pig fell into the river near the Sleepy Hollow Bridge, according to Sgt. Ken Sisson of the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office.

The man jumped into the water but immediately began to struggle to stay afloat, Sisson said. The son yelled to shore for help, but witnesses were only able to locate the pig, which they brought to shore.

Deputies found the father unconscious in the river near the bridge.

Lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.