VANCOUVER, Wash. — Search and rescue crews looked for a man who potentially drowned in the Columbia River on Sunday night, but were unable to find him.
Witnesses called 911 around 5:45 p.m. Sunday and said a man in his early 20s went under the water about 15 feet from the shore at Frenchman's Bar in Vancouver and didn't come back up. The man's friends said he was not a strong swimmer and wasn't wearing a life jacket.
Multiple agencies from Vancouver and Portland responded and the Coast Guard was notified. A large group of people at the river also tried to find the man.
Rescue crews searched for the man with swimmers searching by grid and boats conducting drag operations and using radar to search the river. Crews shifted from rescue to recovery operations after about an hour. As of Sunday night, the man had not been found.
The Clark County Sheriff's Office took over the search to continue dive operations.
The Vancouver Fire Department said it wants beachgoers to know that local river currents can be deceivingly strong and advises people to wear life jackets for safety.
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