Man disappears in Spokane River

A half-naked man jumped into the Spokane River on Thursday evening, but authorities were unable to find him even after calling a MedStar helicopter to assist.

Jeff Mock, 26, and Brandon Bachmeier, 23, were walking through Riverfront Park when they saw an “extremely disheveled-looking” man being chased by two security guards on bicycles, apparently because he was naked from the waist down, Mock said.

The man ran toward the river with the guards, Mock and Bachmeier, following. He jumped into shallow water near the YMCA building at about 5:45 p.m., Bachmeier said. He then sat down and scooted himself into the rapids.

The man surfaced “right in the worst spot” and made eye contact with Mock.

It appeared the man “realized that this was not the way to do this,” Mock said.

The man floated down the rapids below the south pedestrian bridge, then surfaced and started swimming back to shore, Bachmeier said.

Shortly thereafter, the man was pulled under again and never resurfaced. A Fire Department official said witnesses told searchers that the man came within 30 feet of the shore when he went under for the last time.

People watched the search efforts from the Post Street bridge and the balcony at Anthony’s restaurant.

Police, firefighters and a Spokane County dive team worked for about two hours but called off the search when it became dark.