Off-Duty Firefighter Rescues Paddleboarder From Columbia River

A paddleboarder on the Columbia River in Wenatchee is safe after a water rescue on Wednesday.

Wenatchee Valley Fire Department Chief Jon Perry said firefighters and EMTs responded to Walla Walla Point Park at approximately 3:35 p.m. for a female paddleboarder without a life jacket who had fallen off her board. Perry said there was a male with her who left the scene.

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An off-duty firefighter on his jet ski heard the call chatter and located the girl. The firefighter then found a citizen with a boat on the river, dropped off his jet ski at the shore, and retrieved the paddleboarder from the boat near the Wenatchee Row and Paddle Club boat house.

"Life jackets are a lifesaver," Perry said. "The water is very cold, and any length of time in the cold water when you're not able to remove yourself, having that flotation device is going to be a lifesaver."

She was taken to an area hospital for treatment, and Perry said she is in stable condition.