SULTAN — They just wanted to beat the heat with a slow float down the Skykomish River on Friday afternoon.
They brought two life jackets, a raft and a couple of inflatable pool toys.
Not long after putting in at Sportsman Park in Sultan at lunchtime, their adventure turned deadly.
The group of nine teens, all from Snohomish County, hit a rough patch of water. One air mattress flipped, sending two teens into the water. The fast-moving current pulled one young man into a “strainer,” a place where the water rushes through logs and tree roots, officials said.
He wasn’t wearing a life jacket.
His friends desperately tried to save him, pulling at him so hard they yanked his T-shirt off.
They called 911, but even with good directions to the location of the mishap, it took about 45 minutes for rescue crews with sufficient gear to converge on the scene, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Lt. Rodney Rochon said.
“This is going to be a tragic event for these people,” he said of the teen’s friends and family.
Two boatloads of rescuers equipped with pulleys, ropes and other special equipment traveled up the river. The body was recovered at about 4:45 p.m.
It’s tragedy that might not have had to happen.
The teens were using inflatable devices more appropriate for a pool or a roped-off swim area, Rochon said. They didn’t bring a life jacket for everyone, or locator whistles, as required by state law.
Rochon said rescuers cringe every time the weather gets nice because too many people head straight for the rivers without the proper training, skills or equipment.
“It’s nice weather to float down the river but you’ve got to do it right,” he said.
The Skykomish is running high and cold from snowmelt. A calm surface may hide strong currents and debris, he said.
Even while Friday’s recovery operation was under way, rescue crews talked another group of seven young people out of attempting to float down the same stretch of river. The young people from Lake Stevens showed up with two inflatable rafts and a single life jacket.
One of the teens in that group, Brittany Pugmire, said the float from Sportsman Park to the waterfront in Monroe is a popular one. She’s made it before, but usually later in the season when the water is slower.
The friends of the missing teen were taken to Sultan while the search was under way. Three chaplains were summoned to offer comfort.
The teens’ parents came to pick them up and help recover the vehicles that had been left at Sportsman Park.
One of the girls spoke briefly about her lost friend, saying he “was always happy, always smiling.”
She declined to give her name.
Rochon hugged one of the boys as he climbed into the car and was driven away.
Officers declined to name the young man pending notification of the family. They said all nine teens are local high school students.
Water safety tips from the American Red Cross
- 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.
Debra Smith: 425-339-3197, dsmith@heraldnet.com
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