Yakima County Deputies Save Fisherman Who Fell Out of a Canoe Into Icy Waters

Yakima County Deputies and County Fire District 5 crews responded to a water rescue south of Yakima on Tuesday midday.

  A man had fallen out of a canoe while fishing

Around 11:30 AM, a 911 caller told dispatch they spotted a man in a pond near Donald, a small unincorporated area 12 miles south of Yakima, along the Interstate.  The man was seen struggling to get on top of a canoe.

According to Officials, they later learned he'd been trying to move around in the watercraft while fishing when it capsized, dumping him into the icy water.

He was in one of a pair of small ponds near the area, which has a population of about 91 people. When emergency crews and Deputies arrived, the 25-year-old man was screaming and yelling about the frigid water.  It was quickly decided to tie several ropes together and have the water rescue Officers swim out and get him, rather than risk further injury to him by having to use precious minutes to deploy their watercraft.

The pond area is circled in red in the photo with this story.

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He was able to be towed safety to shore and taken over to the the ambulance on-site for treatment. Officers said it was fortunate a passing motorist on I-82 saw the man in the water and called 911, and that crews were able to quickly get him out safely.