SULTAN – An Everett man drowned in the Sultan River on Thursday while trying to retrieve a boy’s shoe. The same day, life jackets were delivered to the fire station in town for free use by those who can’t swim.
The man, 38, could not swim, Sultan Fire Chief Merlin Halverson said. Divers found his body about 30 feet from shore in about 15 feet of water.
“We want to caution people that the river isn’t always as pleasant as it looks,” Halverson said.
The man and his girlfriend’s 11-year-old son were with friends at a popular swimming hole just west of town when the boy’s shoe floated off.
The man tried to grab the shoe, but the current pulled him into deeper water, Halverson said. The current is swift, and the bank drops off quickly in the area, the chief said. The drowning occurred near where the Sultan and Skykomish rivers converge.
A passerby tried to help the struggling man, but had to retreat back to shore, the chief said.
The 11-year-old ran into town for help. Firefighters spotted the man’s body and called for the county’s dive team. Prior to the team’s arrival, two Sultan firefighters pulled the man from the river.
The man’s identity was not released Thursday.
Ironically, as Sultan firefighters returned from the river, a shipment of life jackets was delivered to the station. Sultan, along with fire departments in Monroe and Index, recently received grants to buy life jackets.
The departments will lend the jackets for free to anyone who needs them. Fire officials hope to place signs at popular swimming locations to advertise the program, Halverson said.
“If anyone would have had a life jacket, (the Everett man) probably would have lived,” Halverson said.
This was the second drowning in Sultan this year. A 34-year-old man drowned in April after trying to retrieve a model rocket that landed in the Skykomish River.
Sultan firefighters have been called to three other water rescues involving children this year.
Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.
Water smart
The following are water safety tips:
* Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim. Always swim with a buddy; never swim alone.
* Swim in areas supervised by a lifeguard.
* Read and obey all rules and posted signs.
* Children or inexperienced swimmers should take precautions, such as wearing a life jacket when around water.
* Watch out for the dangerous “too’s” too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much strenuous activity.
* Set water safety rules for the entire family based on swimming abilities.
* Be knowledgeable about the water environment and its potential hazards, such as deep and shallow areas, currents, obstructions and where entry and exit points are located.
* Pay attention to local weather conditions and forecasts. Stop swimming at the first indication of bad weather.
Source: American Red Cross
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