Woman Drowns in Wenatchee River Tuesday Amid Several Incidents

A 46-year-old woman is dead after drowning in the Wenatchee River in Leavenworth Tuesday afternoon.

Rich Magnussen with Chelan County Emergency Management said the Tacoma native had been inner tubing with a group but fell out of her tube near Barn Beach just before 5:00 pm.

"Prior to being able to get to shore she went underwater." Magnussen said, "A good Samaritan was able to get to her and actually bring her to shore. CPR was performed but unfortunately it was unsuccessful."

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Magnussen added that she was not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD), something that should always be done when recreating in area waters.

"People are getting caught off guard when they get into the river because of the flow of the rivers. I doesn't matter your ability or how good of a swimmer you are. You still need to be wearing a life jacket." continued Magnussen, "In these cold temps, hypothermia can set in pretty quick and you can start cramping up. Even if you're a good swimmer, you might not be able to make it to shore."

The Chelan County Sheriff's Office is withholding the victim's name until her next of kin can be notified.

As the drowning incident was unfolding, Rivercom received another call for a water rescue in the same area around Barn Beach. However the second situation resolved itself before anyone needed to intervene.

Another water rescue on Lake Wenatchee minutes before the Wenatchee River drowning provided an example of the safety that PFDs bring.

A couple in their early 40's are recovering after being rescued from Lake Wenatchee around 4:45 pm Tuesday.

Lake Wenatchee Fire and Rescue Chief Dave Walker said the two were canoeing when the wind picked up and capsized their boat.

They were eventually noticed by the manager of a nearby YMCA camp, who also responded on a jet-ski. Crews from Lake Wenatchee Fire and Rescue also responded with personnel on shore as well as a rescue boat.

The couple ended up in the water for about 90 minutes.

"They were both hypothermic, the male severely so. When we got to them out on the water they were cramping up." Walker said, "Luckily they were wearing life jackets or the whole thing would have been another story."

Both people were transported to Cascade Medical Center. Their conditions are unknown.