Vancouver Firefighters Rescue Man From Columbia River (Photo)
- 11/03/26
Today at 2:24 p.m., Vancouver Fire Department’s Truck 1, Engine 1, and battalion 1 were dispatched to a reported drowning in the Columbia River near the Vancouver waterfront.
Truck 1 arrived at Waterfront Way, west of Esther Street, where Vancouver Police Department officers were already on scene. Firefighters observed a man floating downstream approximately 100 feet from shore. He was conscious, struggling to swim and calling for help.
Two Truck 1 rescue swimmers donned protective equipment and entered the river. They reached the man when he was approximately 20 feet from shore and brought him to the shoreline.
Portland Fire & Rescue crews aboard Rescue Boat 17 transported the patient to a nearby dock, where he was safely transferred to an ambulance. AMR paramedics, accompanied by Vancouver firefighters, transported him to a nearby hospital in stable condition.
Vancouver Fire Department’s rescue swimmer program equips and trains firefighters to enter the water and reach people in distress. This incident highlights the importance of that capability and coordination among emergency response agencies.
Vancouver Fire Department thanks CRESA dispatchers for providing accurate, up-to-date information throughout the response, Vancouver Police Department, Portland Fire & Rescue and AMR for their assistance in bringing this patient to safety.
Vancouver Firefighters Rescue Man From Columbia River (Photo)
- 11/03/26
Today at 2:24 p.m., Vancouver Fire Department’s Truck 1, Engine 1, and battalion 1 were dispatched to a reported drowning in the Columbia River near the Vancouver waterfront.
Truck 1 arrived at Waterfront Way, west of Esther Street, where Vancouver Police Department officers were already on scene. Firefighters observed a man floating downstream approximately 100 feet from shore. He was conscious, struggling to swim and calling for help.
Two Truck 1 rescue swimmers donned protective equipment and entered the river. They reached the man when he was approximately 20 feet from shore and brought him to the shoreline.
Portland Fire & Rescue crews aboard Rescue Boat 17 transported the patient to a nearby dock, where he was safely transferred to an ambulance. AMR paramedics, accompanied by Vancouver firefighters, transported him to a nearby hospital in stable condition.
Vancouver Fire Department’s rescue swimmer program equips and trains firefighters to enter the water and reach people in distress. This incident highlights the importance of that capability and coordination among emergency response agencies.
Vancouver Fire Department thanks CRESA dispatchers for providing accurate, up-to-date information throughout the response, Vancouver Police Department, Portland Fire & Rescue and AMR for their assistance in bringing this patient to safety.
