SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — A paddleboarder fell into the water and has not resurfaced at Bear Lake, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. at Bear Lake. Witnesses on the beach suspected who the missing person was when reports of the incident spread across the shoreline.
“I was sitting here on the beach with my family and like 20 minutes later a woman came up saying someone had fallen in and they couldn’t find him,” said Ian Hutchinson, a witness at the scene. “They said the dude wasn’t wearing a life vest. I instantly knew who she was talking about. He was struggling. You could tell he wasn’t comfortable with it.”
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office received the call about the paddleboarder falling off his board and failing to resurface. However, witnesses say there wasn’t much communication when first responders arrived at the scene, creating confusion for both onlookers and rescue personnel.
“There wasn’t a lot of information passed around when the first responders got here,” Hutchinson said. “My sister and I let them know what we had seen and what was going on, where he went down and the general area. They were like clueless when they got here. There was no information given to them when the call was made.”
According to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the team will continue the search Tuesday if deemed necessary.
The incident serves as a stark reminder about water safety on area lakes and rivers. Witnesses say the paddleboarder who reportedly fell in wasn’t wearing a life vest.
“If you can’t swim, put a life vest on,” Hutchinson said. “Yeah it looks weird. It looks goofy. But safety first. That’s why they make us wear seatbelts. Everybody hates them but people survive accidents when they have the proper protective gear on.”
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
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