VANCOUVER, Wash. — A coordinated rescue involving citizen fishermen and multiple emergency response agencies saved a person from the Columbia River late Saturday morning, marking an especially meaningful final call for one of the Vancouver Fire Department’s longest-serving firefighters.
At approximately 10:30 a.m., the Vancouver Fire Department responded to reports of a person in the Columbia River after a witness called 911. Fire crews from Vancouver were joined by the Portland Fire Bureau, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit, and AMR in the emergency response.
In a remarkable coincidence, Vancouver Fire Boat 1 was already on patrol as Engineer Paramedic Casey Holmes took one final ride aboard the vessel during his last shift before retiring after nearly 26 years with the department…