A Battle Ground man died Wednesday after jumping about 50 feet from a cliff into the Toutle River near Castle Rock.
Cowlitz 911 received a call at about 3:30 p.m. about a man who had not resurfaced after jumping into the Toutle River. Deputies and fire department personnel responded to the scene, which was determined to be near Toutle River Road, according to a news release from the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office.
The Cowlitz Dive Team responded to search the river, assisted by deputies, Fire District 6, Castle Rock police and a Longview police drone. The search continued until about 9 p.m. and resumed Thursday morning, the sheriff’s office said.
Divers located and recovered the man’s body at about 2 p.m. Thursday.
The man was identified as 23-year-old William Lewis Hogg. His family and friends were on scene during the search and assisted in the recovery of his body, the sheriff’s office said.
Investigators say Hogg struck the surface of the water with his head and chest after doing a front flip, the sheriff’s office said. The coroner’s office will examine the body and determine cause of death.
