SNOHOMISH, Wash. -- Western Washington rivers are running especially high and cold, increasing the potential danger for swimmers and tubers looking for fun on a summer day.
A 31 year old woman died on the Stillaguamish River Saturday after she was dumped off her raft and tangled in underwater debris.
Her body was found in a mess of branches and root balls called a strainer while floating near Blue Still Park. She was not wearing a life jacket.
"The whole family was in shock," says John Seaman a nearby camper. He witnessed the tragedy and directed search and rescue crews to her body.
"Ill be haunted for a long while after seeing that," he says. "The guys did a helluva job. They did the best they could even with the life vest I'm not sure she would have made it."
Sunday, a teenager girl was caught underwater on the Stillaguamish near Arlington at River Meadows Park. Floating with friends, her tube capsized and she was found clinging to a tree stump for 30 minutes until rescuers could arrive.
Brandon Bates with the Snohomish County Fire District says the Stillaguamish River Rescue Team responded quickly.
"We had all that rain and now we're starting to see the snow run off," says Lt. Rodney Roshon with the Snohomish County Sheriffs Office "People are thinking, 'well I did it last year, things will be the same'. That's not the case."
Swollen rivers are also disguising hidden snags in the form of fallen trees and deep undercurrents.
"Until we get a nice long stretch of summer, this will continue," he says. "Bottom line, the people who wear life vests and use safety equipment, are not the ones that we are pulling from this river."
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