PORTLAND, Ore. — A dive team recovered the body of a man Monday afternoon from Johnson Creek, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) said Tuesday.
The sheriff's office said the man had fallen into the fast-flowing creek earlier Monday, which was swollen after several days of steady rain.
At around 7:15 a.m. Monday, a person called 911 and said a man had fallen into Johnson Creek. Multiple agencies from across the Portland area responded to search for the man, but were unable to locate him. After a little less than two hours of searching, officials determined conditions were unsafe for the dive team and crews were called back. MCSO took over the search.
Several hours later, at around 2 p.m., a person called and reported seeing a body in the creek. The MCSO River Patrol Unit and Dive Team responded to the area and recovered the body. MCSO said it was the same man who fell into the creek earlier in the day.
Initial reports from responding agencies early Monday said the man was swept downstream while floating on what was described as an outdoor furniture cushion. The cushion matching the description was found downstream Monday morning but the man's body wasn't found until hours later.
Multiple agencies responded Monday morning, including the Clackamas County Fire Department, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, Milwaukie Police Department, Portland Fire & Rescue and the Lake Oswego Fire Department Dive and Rescue Team.
Portland Fire said Monday morning that during the search, crews had to work around tree branches and other debris in the water. Some of the crews working on the bank were swept into the creek but were able to get out of the water safely.
