One person rescued from Spokane River and transport to local hospital
Just before 9:30 a.m., crews from the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) and Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) responded to the T.J. Meenach Bridge at N. Pettet Drive on a report of a person in the river calling for help.
The first arriving crew was able to quickly locate a 27 year old male mid-stream hanging onto a branch in swift current. Firefighters successfully rescued the male who was suffering from hypothermia and was very confused. The patient was transported to a local hospital for further treatment.
The male initially indicated to public safety officials that he and his wife were involved in a vehicle collision where the vehicle had rolled into the river. He was unable to identify the area where the collision occurred and had limited memory of the event.
For several hours firefighters from SFD and SVFD used kayaks and boats to thoroughly search the river with addition companies from SFD searching the trail system and banks on both side of the river. The search has been called off due to river and weather conditions and the lack of confirmed information.
As public safety officials have continued to investigate what had occurred, the accounts from the male have varied. Officials have not been able to confirm that a vehicle collision ever occurred, but were able to determine that both the male and his wife were at a local hospital earlier.
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Michele Anderson | Public Safety Communications Manager
Spokane Police Department | Spokane Fire Department
cell 509.742.0063 | office 509.622.5868 | mlanderson@spokanecity.org
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