The Wenatchee World
LEAVENWORTH — A 50-year-old man drowned Tuesday while inner tubing in the Wenatchee River in Leavenworth.
He was identified as John R. Campbell of Everett, Chelan County Coroner Wayne Harris said this morning.
Campbell was tubing with his two teenage sons near the KOA Campground when about 1:55 p.m. the tube capsized and he fell backward and struck his head on a rock, said Adam Musgrove, chief of operations with the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office.
He sustained a head injury and then went face-down in the water and drowned, Musgrove said. His son and some bystanders helped bring him to shore, but attempts to resuscitate Campbell were unsuccessful.
A GoFundMe page has been created to raise money to help Campbell’s wife and four children.
The section of river where Campbell died is a set of rapids called Boulder Bend and is known for exposed river rocks. Though the river is much lower than in spring, when it’s popular with kayakers and rafters, Musgrove said, it’s still dangerous — especially without a helmet.
He advised the public to be “extremely cautious” when recreating on the river.
“That river is very deceiving,” Musgrove said. He added, “That water is very cold and … just because it’s not deep doesn’t mean that the water isn’t dangerous.”
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