Woman in critical condition after falling off inner tube, getting swept down Green River

AUBURN, Wash. -- A man and woman were pulled from the Green River Tuesday after they fell off their inner tubes at Flaming Geyser State Park and were swept down the Green River, authorities said. The woman was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.

The man was OK, the King County Sheriff's Office said.



The woman and two friends were on inner tubes floating down the river when the group fell off of their tubes and were swept downstream, the sheriff's office said. A woman in the group was able to self-rescue but the other two, a man and woman, continued downstream.

Witnesses called 911 around 2:45 p.m.

When rescue crews arrived, they could hear someone yelling for help near a bridge downriver from where the pair was last seen, the sheriff's office said. Rescue crews were able to reach the pair and pull them out of the river.

"The woman was unconscious and was airlifted to Harborview in life-threatening condition," the sheriff's office said.

In light of the warmer temperatures King County officials said the public should be aware of the dangers associated with water recreation at this time of year. Rivers are inherently dangerous. With winter’s heavy mountain snowpack much of the Cascade Range is beginning to melt. Rivers in King County are expected to have cold, fast flows throughout the summer.

The sheriff's office said anyone swimming, rafting or tubing should wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved lifejacket. Never float the river alone and always tell someone your route, and when and where you expect to put in and take out.