Man Found Unconscious in Touchet River

DAYTON - Dayton Ambulance, Fire District 3 personnel and deputies with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a possible drowning Monday, at approximately 4:10 p.m.

A 54-year-old man, who was unidentified at press time, was swimming in the Touchet River downstream from Dayton near the Touchet Valley Golf Course. The caller reported the man had been trapped under a man-made log dam in that portion of the riv­er and was not conscious. Responders pulled the man from the water and transported him to Dayton General Hospital. The patient's status is unknown at press time.

Columbia County Sheriff Rocky Miller stated that alcohol was involved in the inci­dent. He also advised that anyone making recreational use of local streams and rivers use extreme caution at this time. Heavy rain­fall in the last few days has caused unusually high water levels for this time of year.