Man dies at Green River Gorge, where swimmers in distress are common

A man died Saturday afternoon after jumping into the water at the Green River Gorge, a popular spot that has seen several emergency rescues over the years, authorities said.

Friends of the man pulled him out of the river and called for help just before 4 p.m., said Pat Pawlak, a division chief and public information officer for Puget Sound Fire. Paramedics arrived and tried to save him but he died shortly after they reached him.

The slope between the parking lot and the riverbank was so steep that firefighters needed a complicated set of ropes and pulleys to retrieve the man's body, Pawlak said.

The cause and manner of death will be determined by the King County medical examiner's office.

Pawlak added: “We’ve had a number of water rescues there over the years.

In May 2020, a 27-year-old woman drowned after slipping and falling into the river, as KOMO reported at the time. Her friend jumped in to save her, but got caught in the current as well. The friend survived.

A few months later, a 36-year-old man died after losing his footing and slipping into the water at the Green River Gorge, the King County sheriff’s office reported at the time.

In May 2021, a 21-year-old man died while trying to help another swimmer reach the riverbank.

Temperatures were expected to hit the 90s in the Puget Sound region this week. As the weather warms up, people are eager to cool off in the water.

But “the river is still extremely cold," Pawlak warned. The cold water shock can definitely cause some issues with breathing. That’s really what gets people in trouble.”

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