Missing Kayaker in Glenwood
Klickitat County Dispatch received a call that a female had fallen out of her Kayak and went over the low head dam on the Klickitat River near the Glenwood Fish Hatchery.
An image of the Klickitat River. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office Press Release from Sheriff Bob Songer
June 5, 2023
Missing Kayaker in Glenwood
On 06/03/2023, Klickitat County Dispatch received a call that a female had fallen out of her Kayak and went over the low head dam on the Klickitat River near the Glenwood Fish Hatchery.
Klickitat County Sheriff’s Deputy Erik Beasley responded and requested that Klickitat County Search and Rescue (SAR) and the Glenwood Fire Department be paged to the location. Department of Emergency Management (DEM) Director Jeff King contacted Deputy Beasley and advised he was contacting Wet Plant Whitewater Company to respond with Swift Water Rescue certified personnel. He also requested Dispatch to page out the DEM UAS team.
When Deputy Beasley arrived at the area of the report, he made contact with the Glenwood Fire Department, and they were able to determine the last location of the missing person after making contact with the husband of the missing kayaker.
The SAR K9 Team deployed and searched the river banks where the terrain allowed them to go.
Raft and Kayak teams, composed of SAR personnel and members from Wet Planet, floated the river from the Fish Hatchery to Leidle Park. Other kayakers heard about the incident and floated the river ahead of the search teams to look for the missing female.
Ground teams from Glenwood Fire, SAR, and other local people began searching roads and areas that were accessible by foot. The DEM UAS Team flew drones over the river to locate the missing female. The search continued until dark and resumed the following day.
On 06/04/2023, SAR Personnel and the DEM UAS Team responded to the scene and continued to search the river and banks of the Klickitat River. The search was suspended at approximately 1:00 p.m. with no signs of the missing kayaker. The Klickitat River is running swiftly this time of year with the snow runoff, and the steep terrain posed serious safety concerns to the search teams.
The missing female was identified as 29-year-old Sandhya Sridhar. At the time of her disappearance in the Klickitat River, she was wearing a pink hooded sweatshirt and gray yoga-style hiking pants. She was not wearing a life jacket when she fell out of her Kayak.
Airplane Crash in Klickitat County After Engine "just quit"
Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office Press Release from Sheriff Bob Songer June 8, 2023
Airplane Crash
On June 7, 2023, at approximately 14:57 hours, Klickitat County 911 Dispatch advised of a plane crash near Highway 14 in the area of Jacob Williams Winery. While en route Klickitat County Dispatch conveyed additional information that the crash was between milepost 89 and 90 north of Highway 14.
Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Wishram Fire Chief Clyde Rosa arrived on scene first, followed by Klickitat County Sheriff Sergeant Fred Kilian and Deputy Ben Corning. Deputies obtained the name of the pilot, who was identified as Panat Thomas Pinit age 49, from Portland, Oregon. The pilot was by himself and did not receive any injuries.
The Pilot advised Deputies that the plane engine just quit, which caused him to make a crash landing.
Deputies took photos and obtained needed information that pertained to the airplane crash. Deputies were in contact with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and provided the two agencies information on the pilot and on the airplane that would assist them in their pending investigation.
The pilot was put in contact with the land owner to make arrangements to get the wrecked plane removed from the land owner’s property.
CCCNews reached out to the pilot on June 8th, 2023 but he declined to be interviewed.
Airplane Crash: Press Release from Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer
Inmate Death: Press Release from Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer
On May 20th , 2023, just before 2:30 p.m., Corrections Deputies found an unresponsive male during a routine cell check. Corrections Deputies began life-saving measures until the arrival of Klickitat County EMS. The male was transported to Klickitat Valley Health and further transported by Life Light. Tragically, he later died while in the hospital. Currently, Skamania County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an independent investigation. We are deeply saddened by this loss and extend our condolences to the family.
