UPDATE: Three dead in canoe accident
By Dan Thesman on Saturday, November 12th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
UPDATE 11/14/2022 at 9:45 a.m.: Grant County (WA) Coroner Craig Morrison confirmed the identities of the father and his two sons who died due to a canoe accident on Friday within the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge.
The bodies of Miguel Porfirio De Dios, 32, and Oliver Porfirio Maldonado, 6, were recovered on Sunday afternoon. The body of William Porfirio Maldonado, 8, was recovered early Saturday morning.
Coroner Morrison’s staff has scheduled autopsies for early this week.
UPDATE 11/13/2022 at 4:30 p.m.: The Grant County (WA) Sheriff’s Office reports divers found the bodies of a 32-year-old Othello man and his six-year-old son around 2:45 p.m. Sunday. The family was at the scene, as well as a number of people who had come to support the family.
Out of the respect for the family, the names of the father and his two sons will be released on Monday to allow the family to personally notify other relatives.
UPDATE 11/13/22 at 11 a.m.: Recovery efforts continue today for the 32-year-old Othello man and his six-year-old son who are still missing after the canoe in which they and two other children were riding capsized on Friday.
Resources from Columbia Basin Dive Rescue and Kittitas County Search and Rescue Dogs are assisting today.
Many people are on site supporting the family.
The 10-year-old son who survived was treated at a Moses Lake hospital and released. Authorities believe that after he swam to shore, he endured up to seven hours outside in the cold before being found by family members. He is safe and in the care of his family.
The body of the eight-year-old son was recovered early Saturday morning.
UPDATE 11/12/22 at 8:30 p.m.: The Grant County (WA) Sheriff’s Office reports the recovery effort for the Othello man and his six-year-old son lasted until sundown today (Saturday) and will continue tomorrow. Despite the skilled assistance of Columbia Basin Dive Rescue and several hours of drone flights, their bodies have not yet been recovered.
Tomorrow’s efforts start with a briefing at 7 a.m. Resources planned for tomorrow include more dive missions, an underwater drone, and water search dogs. To help the recovery effort, the GCSO askes people to not disturb the water at the scene as doing so will stir up silt and interfere with tomorrow’s dive and drone operations.
UPDATE 11/12/22 at 2 p.m.: The Grant County (WA) Sheriff’s Office reports responders returned around 7:30 a.m. today (Saturday) to continue the recovery efforts for a man and his 6-year-old son. They are the remaining victims of a canoe that capsized yesterday. The man’s 10-year-old son was hospitalized for hypothermia after he made it to shore. The body of the man’s 8-year-old son was recovered early this morning. Family and other supporters are in scene.
Columbia Basin Dive Rescue is on the water searching. A drone is also scanning the water and shoreline.
WARDEN – In Grant County, Washington, one child is hospitalized, a sibling is dead and their father and brother are missing after a canoe accident in the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge on Friday.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office reports a father, age 32, and his three sons ages six, eight, and 10 from Othello went to a lake at the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge south of State Route 262 to go fishing. Sometime before nightfall their canoe capsized. The 10-year-old was able to make it to shore but the father and two siblings did not resurface. Family members became concerned when the group did not return and went searching for the missing. Family found the 10-year-old along the shore and called 911 summoning rescuers just before 11 p.m. Friday.
The 10-year-old was transported to Samaritan Healthcare in Moses Lake for treatment. Rescuers recovered the body of the eight year old male but as of early Saturday morning the father and the six year old have not been recovered. Rescuers continued their search efforts this morning (Saturday).
Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said the name of the family will be withheld until the recovery operations are complete.
Photo via Grant County Sheriff’s Office
