Tipped canoe with 5 overboard leads to search of Spokane River, Latah Creek

An abandoned canoe in the treacherous waters of the Spokane River led to a nearly two-hour search Wednesday before rescuers learned that the five people inside had made it back to shore safely.

Area rivers are flowing fast, and the Spokane River is nearly flood stage.

At about 2:15 p.m., Spokane Valley Fire Department and Spokane Fire Department rescue teams arrived to People’s Park near where the Spokane River and Latah Creek converge on a report of a canoe wedged in some rocks half a mile down river, said Spokane Fire Battalion Chief Dave Hayworth.

Crews searched for about an hour and a half, even calling a helicopter in from Spokane Border Patrol, before calling off the search.

But at about 4 p.m., Spokane Valley Fire Batallion Chief Cooper Kennett, said he received a call from Spokane Police Department alerting them that the canoe they found was taken out by a group of friends earlier that day.

Kennett said the swift water of Latah Creek overturned the canoe, throwing all five overboard, but all five made it safely onto shore.

“Apparently they probably went back to their friend’s house and said they lost their canoe,” Kennett said.

When crews called off the search at about 3:30 p.m., they were fairly certain nobody was in the water, since nobody – including people who called in seeing the canoe – had seen any signs of a person.

“There’s nobody in the water,” Kennett said. “Our exhaustive search proved to be accurate.”