Body of 16-year-old who drowned in Snoqualmie River last Sunday is found

NORTH BEND, Wash. – The body of a 16-year-old boy who drowned last Sunday in the Snoqualmie River was found and was being recovered Thursday night, the King County Sheriff's Office said.

The sheriff's office said the boy's body was found about 450 feet downstream from the falls.

The 16-year-old was with two friends cooling off near a dam in Olallie State Park. Two teens fell over the wall, but only one was able to pull himself out, the sheriff's office said.

“When you’re dealing with cold water and then you compound it with a current, it’s kind of a recipe for disaster,” added Rorvik.

The boy's name has not been released.

A search for teenager's body was suspended late Monday because the river was running too swift for rescue-recovery crews.



The 16-year-old was with two friends cooling off near a dam. Two teens fell over the wall, but only one was able to pull himself out, the sheriff's office said.

“When you’re dealing with cold water and then you compound it with a current, it’s kind of a recipe for disaster,” said Sgt. Mark Rorvik, who is with the sheriff's Marine Rescue unit.

“When you jump into that water, you’re going to get that involuntary reflex where you’re going to gasp and you can’t control it. The air is just going to be sucked out of your lungs and if your head goes under, you’re going to inhale that water. It only takes a half a cup of water to drown you. If your head is underwater when you gasp like that, you will drown, you’ll go straight to the bottom. It’s not something you can fight and if you’re not wearing a life jacket you have no chance of survival.” he said.