Man drowns in Skykomish River, sheriff's office says

GOLD BAR, Wash. -- The body of a man in his 30s from the Sultan/Gold Bar area was recovered Tuesday night from the Skykomish River downstream from the Big Eddy Public Water Access site.

The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said that earlier in the day, deputies responded to several 911 calls from witnesses reporting a man acting erratically and trespassing in the area. After talking to him, and deciding he was not a threat to others, deputies left.

A couple of hours later, witnesses at the Big Eddy site called 911 to report that the man jumped into the water and was drifting downstream, appearing to be in distress. Search and rescue crews arrived, but didn't find the man in time. His body was recovered from the river.

Identification of the man, and the official cause and manner of death, will be determined by the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office.