Stillaguamish River drowning victim identified

OSO — The man who died in a rafting accident on the Stillaguamish River on Sunday has been identified.

Jay R. Griffin, 54, of Everett, was dead by the time rescuers were able to bring him to the river bank, officials said.

A woman who also was rafting at the time was able to swim ashore.

Trouble began when their rafts they became entangled on the logs, officials said. The woman made it out of the river on her own, without serious injury.

Witnesses started calling 911 around 2:30 p.m. Sunday to report seeing the pair in the water.

The Snohomish County Medical Examiner listed the cause of Griffin’s death as drowning.

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office Marine Services Unit is continuing its investigation into the cause of the accident, sheriff’s spokeswoman Shari Ireton said.