Olympic Kayaker Drowns

Two-time Olympic kayaker Richard Weiss drowned in an accident on the White Salmon River.

Weiss, who finished sixth in the slalom in the 1996 Atlanta Games and 16th at Barcelona, Spain, in 1992, failed to surface Wednesday after he went over a 15-foot waterfall in the river, just south of the town of Trout Lake, Klickitat County Undersheriff Bill Enderby said.

Weiss moved to nearby Hood River, Ore., after the 1996 Olympics.

Originally from Steamboat Springs, Colo., Weiss, 33, and his wife Rosi were expecting their first child this fall. Weiss hadn’t officially retired but did not try out for this year’s team, said Lisa Fish, spokeswoman for the U.S. Canoe and Kayak Team.

The White Salmon is a popular river for kayaking and was running high because of the spring runoff.

The accident occurred shortly after 5 p.m. A friend who was kayaking with Weiss tried to find him in the water, then went for help. A kayak team statement said Weiss was wearing a life jacket and helmet.

Klickitat County sheriff’s rescuers had to scale down a 200-foot cliff to reach the site. Weiss’s body was recovered about 7 p.m.