STEVENSON, Wash. (AP) – Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters have rescued a man who was trapped in rushing water at the base of a southwestern Washington waterfall after one of his legs got caught in some rocks.
The Skamania County sheriff’s office says 19-year-old John Napierkowski was rescued Monday night from the bottom of Dougan Falls on the Washougal (wash-OOG’-al) River.
The sheriff’s office received a call shortly after 8 p.m. that the Washougal man was trapped near the falls in chest-deep water and couldn’t move his legs.
First responders tied ropes and a harness to the man and were able to free him.
Napierkowski was taken to a hospital because he was trapped in the cold water for about an hour and was lethargic.