KENNEWICK — A 22-year-old Everett man drowned Friday in the Columbia River in southeast Washington.
The Benton County coroner Monday identified the victim as Maxwell Emerson McCain.
Police say the man was visiting the Tri-City area with three friends when they decided to go for a late-night swim in the river near the Kennewick boat launch.
The man apparently was not a strong swimmer and got caught in a bed of milfoil — an invasive weed that grows in many Washington rivers and lakes.
Rescue divers arrived Friday night within 20 minutes of when the man went missing, said Scott Pattison, a spokesman for the Columbia Basin Dive Rescue team.
Crews called off the search early Saturday morning because of poor conditions, he said. Rescuers recovered McCain’s body later Saturday.
People unfamiliar with milfoil can be caught off guard by the seaweedlike plant, Pattison said.
“If you were swimming at night like he was and didn’t see it, it would really scare you at first. And if you put your feet down, you could become entangled in it,” he said.
It’s unclear if McCain was pulled under by the milfoil or if he became fatigued, Pattison said.
McCain and his friends swam to a bridge to dive off a ladder, Pattison said. McCain went under on the swim back to the shore.
People should swim in designated swim areas only, Pattison said. Children and adults who aren’t good swimmers should always wear life jackets.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.
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