Scuba divers fail to find 19-year-old missing in river

A dozen scuba divers Wednesday searched the area in the Columbia River where William Small, 19, is believed to have drowned Tuesday afternoon, but they didn't find him.

"They gave it a great effort, but unfortunately it did not produce any results," said Jim Flaherty, firefighter-spokesman with the Vancouver Fire Department.

Members of Southwest Washington Organization of Rescue Divers and the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Dive Team worked the area north of the Vancouver Lake flushing channel, and other areas as well, from midmorning to late afternoon.

Divers said they didn't anticipate further searching today.

Flaherty himself arose early Wednesday and, soon after daybreak, walked the shore, popular with fishers and families, in case Small's body was there. Small remained missing Wednesday night.

Small, a Vancouver resident, graduated in 2008 from Skyview High School.

Tuesday, he'd been swimming with three friends between the flushing channel and Frenchman's Bar Regional Park when the four became tired. A boater found them struggling in the water and managed to rescue three, but couldn't locate Small, officials said.

After the boater called 911 about 4:40 p.m. Tuesday, a massive interagency search ensued, including several rescue boats, tethered fire department rescue swimmers using grid tactics, scuba divers and a U.S. Coast Guard MH-60 rescue helicopter crew from Astoria, Ore.

The effort continued for about four hours Tuesday before being called off around sunset.

On Wednesday, Vancouver police had not yet identified the boater who rescued three of the swimmers.

"We wish him the best and thank him a hundred times over for getting involved," Flaherty said. "Everybody's thoughts are with the family, that's for sure."

It wasn't known Wednesday why Small and his friends were in distress in the water.

But rescue swimmers said the murky water ranged from 3 to 8 feet deep, indicating the possibility that someone who was wading could fall into deeper water.

In September, the same area claimed the life of 20-year-old Samuel D. Garvin of Vancouver. He'd been trying to swim across the flushing channel when he went under, according to The Columbian's files.

The area is along Northwest Lower River Road in Vancouver.

John Branton: 360-735-4513 or john.branton@columbian.com.