Swimmer dies after distress call at Rooster Rock State Park on Columbia River

A swimmer died Sunday after disappearing in the Columbia River near Sand Island at Rooster Rock State Park, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said a 911 call came in at about 2:05 p.m. on July 12 reporting that a person swimming near Sand Island appeared to be in distress and did not resurface. Sand Island sits on the east end of Rooster Rock State Park.

The sheriff’s office said Patrol, River Patrol, and Airborne Law Enforcement Support units searched the area, along with crews from the Corbett, Gresham, and Port of Portland fire departments. Searchers used a fixed-wing aircraft, a drone, and watercraft to look for the swimmer for more than an hour.

The sheriff’s office Dive Team later joined the response and found the person’s body at about 5:15 p.m. The body was taken to the Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office.

No other information was released. The sheriff’s office said the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, which operates Rooster Rock State Park, also assisted at the scene.

For families and witnesses, a drowning death can leave urgent questions about what happened in the water, what first responders saw, and what records exist after the search. In a fatal incident like this, those details may matter later if someone needs to reconstruct the final minutes or review whether additional information becomes available from the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Sources

1. Swimmer dies after going missing in Columbia River near Sand Island at Rooster Rock (opens in a new tab) - KATU, 2026-07-13