An 8-year-old boy and his uncle were rescued from the Chehalis River Wednesday evening after a current pulled them downstream from the Galvin Road bridge near the Chehalis River Discovery Trail.
No injuries were reported in what Riverside Fire Authority Assistant Chief Erik Olson called “a very, very lucky incident.”
The boy reportedly became tired while swimming, at which point his uncle attempted to swim with him to shore, according to the Riverside Fire Authority.
While swimming with the boy, however, the uncle’s calf cramped up, briefly pulling him underwater. The boy started to panic and a current pulled them to a tree in the water, where they waited for the rescue team, according to Riverside Fire Authority Captain Scott Weinert.
Emergency crews, including the Riverside Fire Authority and American Medical Rescue, were dispatched at 3:42 p.m. on Wednesday, June 27.
The Lewis County Technical Rescue Team, which includes representatives from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the Chehalis Fire Department, Lewis County Fire District 15 in Winlock and Lewis County Fire District 6 in Adna, also responded.
“The little guy was pretty shook up,” Olson said of the 8-year-old.
A member of the rescue team was able to swim out to the boy and his uncle and wait with them for more rescue personnel with kayaks to arrive, Olson said.
“He got (the boy) warmed up in a blanket and played rock paper scissors with him while waiting for the boat,” Olson said.
Rescue personnel cleared the scene at about 5:10 p.m. on Wednesday after medically clearing the boy and his uncle and staying with them as they gathered their belongings from the riverbank, according to Olson.
Weinert noted water can still be too cold to swim this time of year, and calm water can be deceiving with active currents underneath.
It is recommended that kids are trained with swimming lessons, Weinert said.
