A Cashmere man is dead from a rafting accident on the Wenatchee River near Dryden this afternoon (5/4).
Chelan County Sheriff’s deputies along with fire and medical personnel responded to a report of seven people separated from a raft near a location called Shark’s Tooth.
“After it overturned, a couple of occupants noticed one wasn’t doing well on the water. They swam him to shore, and he was unresponsive. They started performing CPR on him. The remainder of the occupants ended up making it out of the water just in the Dryden area, and we’re located later on.” Sheriff’s Sergeant Jason Reinfeld said.
Rescue crews responded to the location where CPR was being performed on the 46-year-old man. They unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate the man and eventually pronounced him deceased at the scene. His identity has not been released.
The water levels on the Wenatchee River have reached near record levels causing fast and strong currents. It’s not recommended to be floating the river now.
“There’s quite a few rafters, kayakers and even paddleboarders on the river today. It would definitely take a really skilled person, not a novice to be out in the water right now.” Reinfeld said.
Most importantly, if you do plan to recreate on the water, Reinfeld urges the use of a life jacket.