Boat overturns, ejects dad, 2 young girls into rugged river, Washington rescuers say

A father and his two young daughters wound up in the Lewis River after their boat hit a snag of fallen trees, Washington rescuers reported.

Firefighters responding to mistaken 911 calls about a drowning near Ridgefield found the father and his 8-year-old daughter clinging to the riverbank about 1 p.m. Saturday, June 11, a Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue news release reported.

Firefighters had to fight their way through cliffs, heavy brush and other difficult terrain to reach the two, the release said.

The father told rescuers their boat took on water and capsized after hitting fallen trees in the river, firefighters said.

He held onto his 8-year-old daughter but his 12-year-old daughter drifted away downriver, the release said.

Firefighters, search teams and rescue swimmers found the 12-year-old alive about 100 yards downstream. Rescuers took the three to a location with better access.

All three were taken to a hospital in stable condition with exposure, firefighters said.

The two girls were in life jackets but the man was not, the release said.

“Wearing the appropriate personal flotation device should always be part of safe boating,” firefighters said. “Given the air and water temperatures, along with the increased flow rates of the river, the proper wearing of life jackets most likely saved two lives today.”

Ridgefield, a city just north of Portland, Oregon, has a population of nearly 12,000 people.

This story was originally published June 12, 2022 at 1:09 PM with the headline "Boat overturns, ejects dad, 2 young girls into rugged river, Washington rescuers say."