PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The paddleboarder who drowned in the Columbia River at Vancouver’s Frenchman’s Bar Park has been identified a week after the tragic incident.
The Clark County Medical Examiner’s office named Jason Karr, a 28-year-old from Hillsboro, as the victim on Monday. The medical examiner confirmed the cause of his death to be an accidental drowning.
The deadly drowning occurred on Monday, July 18. Authorities told KOIN that Karr fell off the paddleboard and was struggling to get to shore around 4 p.m. that day.
Rescue swimmers from the Vancouver Fire Department jumped in — but officials say Karr had already been underwater for several minutes.
A dive team from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office arrived later and recovered his body. Rescue units from Portland and the US Coast Guard also rushed to the scene in a search effort.