A man who drowned near the confluence of the Tualatin and Willamette rivers Friday left his life jacket sitting on the dock in West Linn before plunging into the water, authorities said.
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue responded about 3 p.m. to reports of a man “flailing” in the water near the dock and boat ramp, 2106 Volpp St., in Willamette Park south of West Linn’s downtown.
The man had left his phone, an inflatable kayak and a life vest sitting on the planks before jumping in, according to Tualatin Fire spokesperson Cassandra Ulven. He appeared to have entered the park alone, she said.
“People don’t realize that there could be a current or undertow that makes it difficult for them to get back to shore,” Ulven said.
Rescue swimmers from the agency’s Fire Station 59, located less than a mile away, responded immediately to the area and pulled the shirtless man from deep murky water, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, Ulven said.
West Linn Police identified the drowned man on Monday as 31-year-old Alfredo Vicario Venancio Hernandez.
Tualatin Valley crews also extinguished two brush fires in unincorporated Washington County as temperatures rose during the historic heat wave, officials said.
—Zane Sparling covers breaking news and courts for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-319-7083, zsparling@oregonian.com or @pdxzane.
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