Man vanishes during search

Fri., June 9, 2006

Associated Press The Spokesman-Review

KENNEWICK, Wash. – A young man vanished Wednesday night along the Yakima River while helping to search for a Kennewick man who disappeared when his kayak capsized over the weekend.

The 19-year-old man was on a log with several other teens when they lost sight of him about 8 p.m. where the river passes near West Richland, Fire District No. 4 operations chief Bill Cherwien told KVEW-TV.

Two of the teens on the log were wearing life jackets and two were not, he said.

The missing teen was not immediately identified, and a search was called off because of darkness. Cherwien said it was to resume Thursday morning.

The teens were among volunteers, aided by at least one plane, who were continuing the search for 46-year-old Gary Dean Kirk.

Kirk is presumed drowned after he and a kayaking partner were thrown into the water Saturday afternoon when they paddled over the Wanawish Dam, also known as Horn Rapids Dam.

Cody Lee Hughes, 20, of Kennewick, who had been with Kirk in the two-person kayak, was rescued.

The kayak contained life jackets but neither Hughes nor Kirk was wearing one, Benton County sheriff’s Cpl. Brian White had said earlier.

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