06-05-2025
2 rafters tossed into river during Richland rescue. Fire district boat capsizes
Two men were rescued from the icy Yakima River on Monday afternoon after their blue raft was swept over and trapped in a small diversion dam in north Richland.
The rescue took at least 45 minutes with a team of swimmers, divers and a crew on a rescue boat owned by Benton County Fire District 2 in Benton City.
Then the rescue boat took on water and partially sank below Wanawish Dam near Horn Rapids.
The boat and the raft remained stuck in the river Monday evening. Fire District 2 officials plan to remove their boat in the next two days.
Yakima River rescue
The rafters were working in an official capacity when they got into trouble and went over the dam, said Ben Shearer, Benton County District 4 public information officer. It's unclear if they were working for a public agency.
One of the men on the raft managed to call 911 at about 11:45 a.m.
Benton County Fire Captain Scott Hawley told the Tri-City Herald that it took multiple attempts to get the men to safety on a rescue boat.
In the process, the men fell into the roiling water below the dam that diverts water into irrigation canals.
One of the rafters was treated by an on-site medic for mild hypothermia. River temperatures this time of year average in the mid 50s.
After the rafters were safe, crews set to work trying to pull the raft from the water.
A crew member from Benton County Fire District 2 stands on a rescue boat near the Wanawish Dam on the Yakima River.
But the Fire District 2 rescue boat with a crew member onboard got stuck at the base of the dam and was taking on water.
After more than an hour, he was picked up by the Benton County Sheriff's boat.
The Wanawish Dam is off Highway 240 near the Hanford nuclear site and near Highway 225.
Diversion dams do not have sharp drop-offs into reservoirs but can pose serious hazards because they cause big undercurrents and can pull boats or swimmers under.
Officials from Benton County Fire Districts 2 and 4, the Benton County Sheriff's Office, Richland Fire, Columbia Basin Dive Rescue and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife helped with the river rescue.
A crew member was injured during the rescue and taken to a hospital. But it was unclear how serious the injuries are.
In 2022, a Prosser man died when his raft went over the dam and he fell into the river.
