Man vanishes after jumping in river, Washington rescuers say

CLARIFICATION: Initial reports from firefighters said the man vanished after saving a 5-year-old child from the Columbia River. The child was not involved in the drowning, firefighters said.

A 52-year-old man sank underwater and vanished after jumping into a river, Washington firefighters reported.

Emergency crews responded to the incident on the Columbia River at Wintler Park just before 8:50 p.m. Sunday, July 27, the Vancouver Fire Department said in a news release.

The man entered deeper waters trying to retrieve some property, firefighters said. He did not resurface.

Firefighters, rescue swimmers, rescue boats and the U.S. Coast Guard searched for the missing man, officials said.

The search was suspended at about 10:40 p.m., firefighters said.

On Monday, July 28, divers recovered the man’s body.

Vancouver is about a 10-mile drive north from Portland, Oregon, just across the state border.

This story was originally published July 28, 2025 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Man vanishes after jumping in river, Washington rescuers say."