UPDATE | May 26, 2017
The King County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday evening, May 25th, the body of teenager presumed drown after going over a small falls on Sunday was recovered. KCSO said the victim was located about 450 feet downstream of the falls.
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UPDATE | May 23, 2017
The King County Sheriff’s Office suspended the search for a teen presumed drowned in the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River. The 16-year old went missing while swimming near a small falls Sunday evening, May 21st.
KCSO dive teams, as well as Eastside Fire and members of the King County Search and Rescue Unit, spent many hours Monday searching the river for the teen, but ran out of areas that could be safely searched.
KCSO said before another search can be conducted, river conditions will have to improve. Current conditions are dangerous due to the increased river flow caused by the warm weather and snow melt.
With weather temperatures expected to remain warm over the next week, King County officials are reminding everyone to use caution in and around the water. Waterbodies including lakes, rivers and Puget Sound are extremely cold this time of year.
Officials also advised people to understand the speed and power of moving water, which can be deceiving from the shore. A strong swimmer can become quickly incapacitated from cold-water shock, add that to a strong current and the results can be deadly.
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ORIGINAL STORY
The King County Sheriff’s Office said a a 16-year old boy is presumed drowned after he went missing while swimming with
friends in the south fork of Snoqualmie River near Olallie State Park on Sunday, May 21, 2017.
Sunday evening crews from Eastside Fire and Rescue, the Snoqualmie Fire Department and the KCSO Marine Rescue Unit responded to the 5100 block of SE Holmstead Valley Road, located off I-90 exit 38 and east of the Twin Falls Natural area.
Via press release KCSO said three teens were swimming above the small falls near Olallie State Park (Weeks Falls) when two of them went over the falls. One of the teens was able to self rescue, but the other never surfaced.
Police received the 911 call just after 6pm and King County Marine/Dive/Rescue member responded and conducted a surface search of the area. Rescue members were unable to put divers in the water due to the dangerous current.
The KCSO Marine Rescue Unit resumed the search Monday in some dangerous conditions. A diver had to be tethered to the shore as it searched pools below the falls.
The missing teen’s name is not being released. According to TV news reports, the boys were from Issaquah and the victim attended Issaquah High School.
