Man vanishes in ocean after raft is swept away and flips, Oregon cops say
A man disappeared into the ocean after he was thrown from an inflatable raft when it flipped, Oregon authorities said.
Witnesses told deputies they saw the man at Netarts Bay “walking along the shoreline carrying only the raft and two oars,” according to a Jan. 17 Facebook post from the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office.
“He then paddled out into the fast-moving outgoing current, and the raft quickly headed toward the mouth of the bay,” the sheriff’s office said.
The raft flipped, throwing the man, who “disappeared underwater,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Members of the Netarts-Oceanside Fire District’s rescue team recovered “the raft in the rough breakers, but the man could not be located,” TCSO Marine Deputy Dennis Greiner said, according to the post.
“With 10 to 12 foot waves at approximately 3 seconds, crews were working in difficult conditions, feverishly searching for the individual,” the Netarts-Oceanside Fire District said in a Facebook post.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter also searched the area, but the man was not found, Greiner said, according to the post.
“Unfortunately this rescue attempt turned into a body recovery as grabbing the victim was not possible,” the Netarts-Oceanside Fire District said.
An investigation is ongoing, the sheriff’s office said.
Netarts Bay is about 75 miles northwest of Salem.
This story was originally published January 18, 2023 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Man vanishes in ocean after raft is swept away and flips, Oregon cops say."
