Water Safety & Rescue

On the evening of August 30, 2020 Mark and his 10 yr old son went Salmon fishing at Martin’s Bar on the Columbia River.

At 6:37 PM we received a terrifying call from our grandson. He was crying and said, “Best Buddy fell out of his boat and I can’t see him anymore.” Mark’s kayak was hit by a wave from a passing ship causing the kayak to flip over. Mark was using the kayak to take his fishing line out about 300 feet from shore and was seen falling out of the kayak as he dropped his line. He was not wearing a life jacket at the time. His son said his best buddy called out for help twice, but no one was able to reach Mark before he went down.

Photo taken Aug. 29th, 2020 ~ Mark and his son Salmon fishing the day before he passed away.