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View Full Version : Tragedy at Camas/Washougal Ramp...


Lured In
08-13-2002, 10:32 PM
After a long hot day of steelheading with my oldest son, I was heading back into Camas to pick up my wife and youngest son at the dock(about 600pm). We were going to head back out on the river to play for a while. As soon as I entered the marina, I notice another boat heading out at near full throttle. I am thinking, "what is this wacko doing, this is a no wake zone?" As he goes by me, and can see my concern for his speed, he yells that someone is in the water on the outside of the marina.

So I make a quick turn and follow him back outside the marina. I can see a life ring that someone had thrown and a pair of leather sandles floating on the surface. Nothing else.

I ask the other gentlemen and his wife if they are sure that some 'acutally' fell in and not that someone just saw the sandles floating by. They said a man on the dock watched, what I assume to be his friend or acquaintance jump in to cool off. Apparently shortly after he hit the water, he was sucked under.

My son and I, and the other couple in thier boat looked for another 15 minutes while the gentlemen on the dock called 911. The police showed up and we told them what we had seen. Realizing there was little else we could do, I picked up my wife and son and headed back out.

Two hours later coming back into the marina, they were apparently still looking for the body. I have no idea exactly what happened, only that it appears the man did not make it.

Please extend your prayers for this man's family and friends. As always please be careful and wear a PFD.

[ 08-13-2002, 10:33 PM: Message edited by: Lured In ]

Hogmaster
08-13-2002, 11:21 PM
Wow!

Thanks for trying, Lured...

:depressed: :depressed:

Pilar
08-14-2002, 09:27 AM
That's bad!

Any more on this? Does anyone know who it was?

Lured In
08-14-2002, 09:43 AM
After thinking on this most of the night, it has really started to sink in with me. We are so helpless in so many circumstances that we normally don't consider to be 'life threatening" activities. We all know that boating or playing in water presents real dangers. But how many of us REALLy take this seriously. I have started wearing my PFD more often and always have it out on the back of my boat seat. My boys ALWAYS have theirs on. So what if one day I just happen to fall in, is my PFD on the back of seat really going to save me?

Why is it, that our egos get the better of us so often?

It was very eery circling around an area that may very well have a body on the bottom and not being able to do anything to help them. My two boys had to watched this and I can't help but wonder do they realize what really happened? As we were praying before bed last night my oldest boy asked, "Do you think he has any children?" He prayed and asked God to help his family and children if he has any. Maybe they do understand, life is precious and in moments like that, it is too fragile as well.

Firedog
08-14-2002, 10:07 AM
Heres the link to the short story Channel six had. Not much info yet, Washougal Drowning/channel 6 (http://www.koin.com/webnews/20022/20020814_washougaldrown.shtml)