INDEX—Sheriff’s Office deputies, Sky Valley Fire and Search and Rescue (SAR) responded to a drowning near Eagle Falls around 6:40 p.m. Thursday, July 4.
A 24-year-old male was swimming in the water with another male. Both males were pulled under the current and the 24-year-old did not resurface. A Fire Rescue swimmer dove into the water and rescued the male.
First responders performed CPR for over an hour and transported the man to Providence Regional Medical Center. He was transported with CPR in progress and sadly, he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Positive identification of the decedent, as well as the cause and manner of death, will come from the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Two days later, on Saturday, another adult male was pulled under the current at Eagle Falls. A nearby civilian used a flotation device to safely rescue the swimmer from the water.
Currents are swift in Snohomish County creeks and rivers and water temperatures are still very cold. Consider the following safety tips before exploring our county’s waterways:
- Always wear a life jacket when you are on the water. Never go near moving water without one.
- Beach logs, river banks and rocks near the shore are usually slippery. A fall can knock you unconscious and prevent you from being able to save yourself.
- Consider bringing a whistle. If you are in trouble, it could help alert nearby people.
- Keep kids within arm’s reach. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 14 and under.
- Don’t dive in. Two-thirds of catastrophic neck injuries occur in open water and the sea.
SOURCE: Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office
