Two Clark County men safe after night along river

Two Clark County teenagers are safe after spending the night along the East Fork of the Lewis River.

Austin Butler, 18, of Vancouver and Sampson Langworthy, 18, of Ridgefield left Daybreak Park on a small inflatable raft at about 6 p.m. Monday. But when it became dark and the two men hadn’t arrived home, their parents called 911, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

Shortly after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, ground crews and an aircraft with thermal imaging began searching for the missing teens.

At about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, the duo knocked on the door of a farmhouse along J.A. Moore Road, between La Center and Battle Ground, and were eventually reunited with family.

Butler and Langworthy said that about two hours into their trip, their raft popped and they were forced to walk and swim downstream.

When darkness fell, they sought shelter in some trees along the riverbank and spent the night. They heard search crews and the aircraft but were unable to make contact with either.

Aside from bug bites and bramble scratches, the two were not hurt.

They were both wearing life jackets, and the sheriff’s office said this helped them remain buoyant in the water and stay warm overnight.