Clark-Cowlitz Firefighters Rescue Three From Lewis River. (Photo) - 06/11/22
Firefighters from Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue were dispatched at 01:09 PM to a report of a drowning at 26504 NE 51st Ct in Ridgefield, Washington. Engine 26 arrived at 1:16 PM at the reported address and began to investigate the area, with Engine 22 and Tower 21 investigating from other advantageous locations along the East fork of the Lewis River. Access to the riverfront was hampered due to steep cliffs and terrain, overgrown brush, and no established access points at this location.
Engine 26 made its way through the heavy brush down to the riverfront, where they located an adult male and his 8-year-old daughter on the riverbanks of the Lewis River – due west of Daybreak Park. The adult male indicated that he was traveling in a motorized boat, from St. Helens Oregon, up the Lewis River when his boat struck a “strainer” (a collection of trees in the water). The adult male then reports the boat started taking on water, resulting in the boat capsizing, throwing the adult male and his two daughters into the Lewis River.
The adult male was able to keep his 8-year-old daughter with him throughout the incident but relayed to crews that he saw his 12-year-old daughter go downstream, reportedly seeing her drift towards the bank. Engine 26 relayed this information to responding crews, and a wide-area search was initiated. The Southwest Washington Technical Rescue Team was dispatched, along with CCFR Raft 23.
Rescue swimmers from Tower 21 and Engine 15-1 made access to the water and conducted a waterside search of the river. Technical Rescue Team members from the Vancouver Fire Department and Clark County Fire District 6 arrived on the scene and launched Raft 5 alongside Raft 23 for continued search.
Tower 21 & Engine 15-1 rescue swimmers located the 12-year-old girl downstream, approximately 100 yards from the initial incident. All three patients were then loaded into both rescue rafts and transported downstream to an established access point, where they were evaluated by a Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue paramedic. All three patients were transported by AMR ambulance to a local area hospital, all in stable condition, secondary to exposure to the elements.
Crews indicate that while the adult male was not wearing a life jacket, both the 8-year-old and 12-year-old daughters were wearing the appropriate personal flotation device. CCFR would like to remind people that wearing the appropriate personal flotation device should always be part of safe boating. Given the air and water temperatures, along with the increased flow rates of the river, the proper wearing of life jackets most likely saved two lives today.
Firefighters were on the scene until 2:58.
Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue was assisted in this water rescue by units from Clark County Fire District 6, the Vancouver Fire Department, American Medical Response, and the Clark County Sherriff’s Office. Responding units:
E26: FF Saari, FF Borrelli, FF Martin
E15-1: Capt. Fagan (Rescue swimmer), FF Kearns, FF/PM Gardner
E22: Capt. Meacham, FF Passera
E23 (Raft 23 boat pilots): FF Graham, FF Groat
BC21: Battalion Chief Konkright
Tower 21: Capt. Woodford (Rescue swimmer), FF/PM Nick Maunu
VFD Heavy Rescue 5 (with Raft 5)
VFD BC2
E61 (TRT)
TR63 (TRT)
AMR: M1615, M1616, M1640 (supervisor)
27 total personnel
Report prepared by: Capt. Dohman
Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue (CCFR) serves 45,000 people over 125 square miles, including the cities of La Center, Ridgefield, Woodland, and the Cowlitz Indian Reservation. Our combination department includes full-time and volunteer firefighters responding to an average of 5000 fire and emergency medical calls a year. CCFR operates under a balanced budget and has a history of passing independent financial audits by the state.
