Raft trip turns into difficult rescue for six

By Rolf Boone | The Olympian • Published May 18, 2008

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Six people on a raft trip who became trapped amid strong currents on the Nisqually River for more than four hours were rescued just before 11 p.m. Saturday.

More than 20 emergency responders from several agencies used ropes and a raft to rescue the six, who were on a rock in the river near Whitewater Estates subdivision, about a mile east of Yelm. The river was too shallow to allow the use of a boat, fire officials said. The Nisqually was running higher and faster than normal amid Saturday’s higher-than-usual temperatures because of fresh mountain runoff, neighbors said.

One of the six had suffered a cut on his or her foot, and Central Pierce Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Radcliffe McKenzie expressed concerns about hypothermia. Another fire official estimated the water temperature at about 40 degrees. Five of those rescued are 19 years old, and the other is 17, fire officials said.

Two of the rafters, Thea Brock, a student at South Puget Sound Community College, and Genemichael Lauria of Olympia, said they’re OK and won’t be hospitalized.

Lauria said the rafting trip started about 5:30 p.m. at McKenna Park, about 3 miles from the rescue scene, and that the water was deceptively calm there. The six had headed out in two rafts, one of which was punctured when the water became rougher. They stopped at the rock and called 9-1-1 on Lauria’s phone about 6:41 p.m.

The phone continued to function until after 9 p.m. Emergency responders lost contact with the six after that, said Wendy Moffatt with South Pierce Fire and Rescue.

A third person on the raft, John Galus of Olympia, said he grew up in Yelm and has floated down the Nisqually River many times. He said that when the raft punctured, he had planned to swim to shore, but the others didn’t want to be separated.

One of the six will be hospitalized, but for an unrelated condition, fire officials said. The rest were being driven to McKenna Park, where their cars were, and then were set to head home.

Rescuers from Thurston County Fire District No. 2, Central Pierce Fire and Rescue, South Pierce Fire and Rescue, Graham Fire and Rescue and the Puyallup Special Operations Unit responded.

Jan Hoffman, who owns the property where rescuers and about five onlookers had congregated, said the river was running about 2 feet higher than normal Saturday.

Record-hot weather also caused dangerous conditions on other rivers in Western Washington: The Green and Cedar Rivers were closed about 4 p.m. by the King County Sheriff’s Office. Rescuers throughout the day were kept busy using helicopters and fireboats to get to several people stranded on logjams in the rivers.

A 33-year-old man was missing and feared dead after witnesses saw his inner tube flip near Flaming Geyser State Park, said sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. John Urquhart.

The man, who was not wearing a life vest, last was seen trying to dog-paddle to shore.

A kayaker, thought to be a man in his 30s, was reported overdue and possibly missing about 1 p.m. near Hanging Gardens State Park. “The rivers are too high, too fast and too cold,” Urquhart said.

The Seattle Times contributed to this report.