Man rescued from Spokane River downtown

Crews rescued a man from the Spokane River in Riverfront Park today. The man was pulled from the river about 12:20 p.m. after rescuers responded to reports of a man hanging onto a rope in the water west of the Looff Carrousel, said Spokane Fire Chief Bobby Williams. “We don’t know where he came from or how he got there,” Williams said. Avista Utilities closed water gates in the area to stop the current and prevent the man from being sucked under, which would have lodged him against a gate opening and “made it impossible to get him out,” Williams said. Dozens of people stood by as rescuers used inflatable kayaks to reach the man and help transport him to a raft. He was transported to a hospital for evaluation. His injuries were not immediately known, but they were not life threatening.