Man drowns in Snoqualmie River Saturday


October 2, 2008 · Updated 4:41 PM 

  • 0
  • Print Story
  • Letter/Editor

A 26-year-old Spanaway man drowned while tubing on the Snoqualmie River June 24.

The King County Medical Examiner's office idendified the man as Kevin Barber.

The man was in an inner tube tethered to another person's tube while floating in the river near the mouth of the Raging River, said Fall City Fire Chief Chris Connor.

The rope came untied from the other tube and tangled on debris at the bottom of the river, Connor said. The rope caught the victim's ankle and pulled him under the surface of the water, Connor said.

The man's friends couldn't find him and called for help; emergency workers also had a difficult time locating him, Connor said. By the time the man was located, he had been under water for about 25 minutes, he said.

Rescuers tried to revive him but he was declared dead at the scene, Connor said. He wasn't certain if the man was wearing a life vest or not.

This was the first drowning death in area waters this year, Connor said.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.

blog comments powered by Disqus