SANDY, Ore. — The Clackamas County sheriff’s office says a 17-year-old boy from southern Oregon who had been on a trip with his high school football team has died in the Sandy River southeast of Portland.
Sgt. Nathan Thompson says the teen and his Douglas High School teammates had gone to the river to swim Thursday after working in the area for a fundraiser.
The boy was identified as Joshua Michael Hartley of Winston, Oregon, south of Roseburg. Thompson says divers recovered the teen’s body Thursday evening in nearly 20 feet of water.
The spokesman says the boy was the first of the team members to jump in the muddy river, reportedly jumping in head first. After he went under, other team members jumped in after him and one reported the water was only inches deep where Joshua jumped in. One team member said he hit his knee on a rock when he jumped in, but was not hurt.
