Multiple people rescued from river in Monroe, treated for cold water exposure. The groups interconnected tubes were snagged by a fallen tree. The only person wearing a PFD was a 2-year-old toddler, Several people were treated for hypothermia.
by Chelsea Hylton, KOMO News Staff
Mon, July 22nd 2024
Multiple people were thrown into a river after their flotilla of connected innertubes got caught on a strainer. (Photo: Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue)
MONROE, Wash. — A close call on the Skykomish River after a group of ten people, including a two-year-old were abruptly dumped into the Skykomish River while inner tubing Sunday. Most of the group managed to swim to the safety of the shore, although three of the tubers took refuge on a sandbar where they were stranded until a rescue boat pulled them on board and took them to a safe drop-off spot.
Crews responded to the boat launch on Ben Howard Road East of Monroe just after 1 p.m. after reports that 10 people were in the water after their flotilla of connected innertubes got caught on a strainer. The people, including a 2-year-old child, were thrown into the river.
According to authorities, only the young child was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident. All 10 of the people were able to get to both sides of the shore on their own. Three people were stuck on a sandbar. Boat 31 got into the water and brought the people onboard. Authorities said three people were treated for cold water exposure.
After making sure everyone was safe, boat 31 went upstream and retrieved the flotilla of innertubes. Authorities said that a strainer is a group of fallen trees that act as a water strainer and are “extremely dangerous” in rivers. They advise people to avoid them at all costs.
SRFR reminds everyone to wear a life jacket when going into a river, lake, or saltwater. The cold temperature of the water can drain a person’s energy much faster and make it more difficult for people to swim to safety without a life jacket.
