Man dies at river after apparent medical event

About 3:45 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, a Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office deputy and a Marine Safety Officer recovered a body on the Willamette River in the vicinity of Willamette Mission Park, just north of the Wheatland Ferry.

The deputies were working on marine patrol when they saw people in the water and heard someone calling for help.

In a press release, YCSO indicated a man was unconscious in the water and his friends, who were swimming with him, attempted to keep his head above water while attempting to summon help.

The deputy and marine safety officer responded in the patrol boat to the scene. The unconscious male was pulled from the river into the boat.

The officers transported the adult male to the Wheatland Ferry landing, on the Yamhill County side, as paramedics were requested.

While waiting for EMS to arrive, CPR was administered, along with monitoring by an AED kept on the boat. The man was declared deceased by paramedics.

Additional Yamhill County Sheriff’s deputies arrived and began a death investigation in coordination with the medical examiner.

The preliminary investigation indicates the male suffered a medical event while swimming in the river. Additionally, tests were provided at the time, but results are not yet available.