An afternoon swim in the Willamette River turned tragic when a man was pronounced dead following what officials believe was a medical episode while swimming. The incident occurred near Willamette Mission Park, north of the Wheatland Ferry, where a Yamhill County Sheriff’s deputy and a marine safety officer responded to calls for help from swimmers in distress, according to KGW.
The deputies, on patrol in the area at around 3:45 p.m., heard cries for help and acted swiftly to retrieve an unconscious man from the water, once the deputies brought the man onboard their patrol boat, the rescue effort turned desperate as they performed CPR in the moments ticking by as they raced towards the Wheatland Ferry landing where paramedics were waiting, as reported by KOIN.
Despite the efforts of the deputy and safety officer, the man was pronounced dead by paramedics shortly after arriving at the landing. The Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office, together with the medical examiner, are conducting a death investigation to confirm the cause, and preliminary findings suggest the man had a medical event, according to KATU…