Man Presumed Drowned After Trying to Retrieve Hat in Snake River

Late Sunday, early Monday, Walla Walla County Sheriff's reported the search for a man who had disappeared under the water near Fishook State Park was now considered a recovery mission.

Saturday afternoon around 2:40pm Sheriff's and other EMS workers were called to an area of the Snake River just upstream from Fishook State Park. Citizens there said a man who was out in a boat with others jumped into retrieve his hat that blown off his head. However, he began to founder and those in the boat were unable to reach him before he went under. He was NOT wearing any floatation device.

Those in the boat and other people dove in and made numerous unsuccessful attempts to find and pull him out.  After a thorough search for miles down the river, authorities pulled all craft off the water by sundown, as dark would have hindered the search.

Walla Walla County Sheriff's released this statement, that it had now become a (body) recovery mission: