205 W 5th Ave Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM
Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 07/01/2021 - On Tuesday 06/30/21 at 8:30 PM the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol responded to a report of three people stranded in the Columbia River.
At 9:07 pm, Deputies launched from Wanapum State Park. After a brief search, they found two men and a sixteen-year old boy afloat near the middle of the river, which is over a mile and a half wide in that area. The three, from Selah, Toppenish, and Yakima, were safely taken back to the boat launch with no injuries. They told deputies rising wind and waves overwhelmed their 20 foot pleasure craft. They were unable to bail fast enough in the rough conditions. Their vessel took on more and more water and finally sank. One of the three was able to call 911 while in the water. All three were wearing Personal Floatation Devices (PFD’s) at the time of the incident. In these conditions, their PFD’s undoubtedly saved their lives. We’re very glad for this outcome—but we also want to take this opportunity to urge everyone who recreates on the water during the coming holiday weekend to be careful:
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Chris Whitsett509-962-7615