Fatal holiday accidents include drownings, ATV crashes
Here is a roundup of fatal accidents and other holiday weekend mishaps in the Northwest:
SUNNYSIDE, Wash. — The Washington State Patrol says a 17-year-old boy who was setting off fireworks in a road was struck by a car and killed late Monday night near Sunnyside. The patrol says the teen, Adan M. Gonzalez of Grandview, had his back to traffic when he was struck. He died at the scene.
NEHALEM, Ore. – A family dog killed a boy in Nehalem on Sunday just days from his first birthday. The attack took place during a holiday gathering of the boy’s family at his paternal grandparents’ house in the coastal town. The boys’ four grandparents and aunt and uncle were at the house. The dog, a 5-year-old American bull dog, attacked when the boy was placed on the floor.
TILLAMOOK, Ore. –A 9-year-old girl who drowned in the surf at Cape Lookout State Park on Monday. Angelica Fisher of Portland was at the park with family, Oregon State Police said. She was playing on an inflatable whale with three other children when a wave swept away the inflatable. A second wave then struck, taking Fisher under water. Family members pulled her from the water; she was unconscious and not breathing.
BOISE — Boise County officials say a Boise man was killed and his niece critically injured when the all-terrain vehicle he was driving went over an embankment along the Boise River east of Boise. Sheriff Dale Rogers says the crash happened early Sunday about 18 miles off Highway 21. Officials say the man’s body was found in the water, while a 20-year-old woman was injured and on the rocks. It was the second ATV fatal in Idaho over the weekend. Kirk Tate of Lewiston died in a crash outside Sagle south of Sandpoint. Tate drove off a roadway Sunday evening after he failed to negotiate a right-hand curve. The vehicle went into the ditch and crashed into a culvert, and Tate was ejected.
LEAVENWORTH, Wash. — Police say a 69-year-old Chelan County woman has drowned on a guided rafting trip on the Wenatchee River. The Wenatchee World says Sharon G. Hughes was one of seven family members and a guide who were on a raft when it hit a log jam Sunday afternoon. Sgt. Mike Harris says six family members were able to climb out of the raft and onto the log jam. But Hughes and the guide were thrown from the raft when it flipped. She was swept under the log jam and was later pulled to the river bank. Attempts to revive her were unsuccessful. Her husband, 70-year-old William Hughes, was treated for minor injuries at Central Washington Hospital.
VANCOUVER, Wash. — A man who drowned in the Columbia River on Sunday near Vancouver has been identified as a Battle Ground police officer, Michael M. Molzahn. Authorities say the 41-year-old jumped in the water from a boat and struggled against the current. He was picked up by a personal watercraft. A Portland fire boat took him to Vancouver’s Steamboat Landing, where efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
WOODLAND, Wash. — Police say a 16-year-old drowned while swimming Monday afternoon at Horseshoe Lake in Woodland. Witnesses say he swam to a buoy and got into trouble while returning to shore. Another swimmer was unable to save him. Divers found the body about an hour later.
GLASGOW, Mont. — Valley County officials say an 18-year-old Wolf Point man has drowned at a fishing access site north of Fort Peck Reservoir. Sheriff Glen Meier tells KLTZ-AM that the man was swimming at the Dredge Cuts Recreation Area north of Fort Peck Monday afternoon when he drowned. Meier says the man’s friends were unable to save him. Divers recovered the body about 5 p.m. Monday.
SEATTLE — The Seattle Fire Department says an 18-year-old lost a finger and suffered other injuries when a home-made firework blew up in his hand. The teen said he found the device on the ground Monday night at a park in the Queen Anne neighborhood and that it went off when he picked it up. The explosion knocked him out. In addition to losing the finger, a leg was burned and his hair singed. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center in stable condition.
KENT, Wash. — Fires damaged two homes in Kent on Monday. The fire department says fireworks started one fire Monday afternoon. The cause of a second fire around midnight remains under investigation. No one was injured. A family of three was displaced by the first fire and a family of five by the second fire.
BEAVERTON, Ore. — When firefighters responded to a Monday night Beaverton house fire they found two vehicles burning in the driveway and the front of the home in flames. The fire department says the home was lost but firefighters prevented flames from spreading to a neighboring home. No one was injured in the fire. The cause remains under investigation but fireworks were being discharge in the area.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Fire Department investigators say illegal fireworks are to blame for a 2-alarm fire in northeast Portland that caused $100,000 damage to a building housing two businesses. No one was injured in the Monday night fire. It was started when fireworks landed on the roof. The Oregonian reports the fire caused extensive damage to a coffee shop and a restaurant.
GASTON, Ore. — A borrowed barbecue is blamed for starting a fire that destroyed a Yamhill County home where a church group planned a Fourth of July picnic for at-risk kids. Gaston Rural Fire District spokesman Ken Bilderback says the barbecue ignited the siding of the house between Gaston and Yamhill. The family tried to put it out with a garden hose, but the flames spread quickly. Firefighters from multiple districts responded. Yamhill Rural Fire District Chief Brian Jenson said the house was a total loss. The Oregonian reports no one was injured in the fire. It started before 50 kids arrived for the picnic hosted by people from the Newberg Christian Fellowship.
SUNNYSIDE, Wash. — The Washington State Patrol says a 17-year-old boy who was setting off fireworks in a road was struck by a car and killed late Monday night near Sunnyside. The patrol says the teen, Adan M. Gonzalez of Grandview, had his back to traffic when he was struck. He died at the scene.
NEHALEM, Ore. – A family dog killed a boy in Nehalem on Sunday just days from his first birthday. The attack took place during a holiday gathering of the boy’s family at his paternal grandparents’ house in the coastal town. The boys’ four grandparents and aunt and uncle were at the house. The dog, a 5-year-old American bull dog, attacked when the boy was placed on the floor.
TILLAMOOK, Ore. –A 9-year-old girl who drowned in the surf at Cape Lookout State Park on Monday. Angelica Fisher of Portland was at the park with family, Oregon State Police said. She was playing on an inflatable whale with three other children when a wave swept away the inflatable. A second wave then struck, taking Fisher under water. Family members pulled her from the water; she was unconscious and not breathing.
BOISE — Boise County officials say a Boise man was killed and his niece critically injured when the all-terrain vehicle he was driving went over an embankment along the Boise River east of Boise. Sheriff Dale Rogers says the crash happened early Sunday about 18 miles off Highway 21. Officials say the man’s body was found in the water, while a 20-year-old woman was injured and on the rocks. It was the second ATV fatal in Idaho over the weekend. Kirk Tate of Lewiston died in a crash outside Sagle south of Sandpoint. Tate drove off a roadway Sunday evening after he failed to negotiate a right-hand curve. The vehicle went into the ditch and crashed into a culvert, and Tate was ejected.
LEAVENWORTH, Wash. — Police say a 69-year-old Chelan County woman has drowned on a guided rafting trip on the Wenatchee River. The Wenatchee World says Sharon G. Hughes was one of seven family members and a guide who were on a raft when it hit a log jam Sunday afternoon. Sgt. Mike Harris says six family members were able to climb out of the raft and onto the log jam. But Hughes and the guide were thrown from the raft when it flipped. She was swept under the log jam and was later pulled to the river bank. Attempts to revive her were unsuccessful. Her husband, 70-year-old William Hughes, was treated for minor injuries at Central Washington Hospital.
VANCOUVER, Wash. — A man who drowned in the Columbia River on Sunday near Vancouver has been identified as a Battle Ground police officer, Michael M. Molzahn. Authorities say the 41-year-old jumped in the water from a boat and struggled against the current. He was picked up by a personal watercraft. A Portland fire boat took him to Vancouver’s Steamboat Landing, where efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
WOODLAND, Wash. — Police say a 16-year-old drowned while swimming Monday afternoon at Horseshoe Lake in Woodland. Witnesses say he swam to a buoy and got into trouble while returning to shore. Another swimmer was unable to save him. Divers found the body about an hour later.
GLASGOW, Mont. — Valley County officials say an 18-year-old Wolf Point man has drowned at a fishing access site north of Fort Peck Reservoir. Sheriff Glen Meier tells KLTZ-AM that the man was swimming at the Dredge Cuts Recreation Area north of Fort Peck Monday afternoon when he drowned. Meier says the man’s friends were unable to save him. Divers recovered the body about 5 p.m. Monday.
SEATTLE — The Seattle Fire Department says an 18-year-old lost a finger and suffered other injuries when a home-made firework blew up in his hand. The teen said he found the device on the ground Monday night at a park in the Queen Anne neighborhood and that it went off when he picked it up. The explosion knocked him out. In addition to losing the finger, a leg was burned and his hair singed. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center in stable condition.
KENT, Wash. — Fires damaged two homes in Kent on Monday. The fire department says fireworks started one fire Monday afternoon. The cause of a second fire around midnight remains under investigation. No one was injured. A family of three was displaced by the first fire and a family of five by the second fire.
BEAVERTON, Ore. — When firefighters responded to a Monday night Beaverton house fire they found two vehicles burning in the driveway and the front of the home in flames. The fire department says the home was lost but firefighters prevented flames from spreading to a neighboring home. No one was injured in the fire. The cause remains under investigation but fireworks were being discharge in the area.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Fire Department investigators say illegal fireworks are to blame for a 2-alarm fire in northeast Portland that caused $100,000 damage to a building housing two businesses. No one was injured in the Monday night fire. It was started when fireworks landed on the roof. The Oregonian reports the fire caused extensive damage to a coffee shop and a restaurant.
GASTON, Ore. — A borrowed barbecue is blamed for starting a fire that destroyed a Yamhill County home where a church group planned a Fourth of July picnic for at-risk kids. Gaston Rural Fire District spokesman Ken Bilderback says the barbecue ignited the siding of the house between Gaston and Yamhill. The family tried to put it out with a garden hose, but the flames spread quickly. Firefighters from multiple districts responded. Yamhill Rural Fire District Chief Brian Jenson said the house was a total loss. The Oregonian reports no one was injured in the fire. It started before 50 kids arrived for the picnic hosted by people from the Newberg Christian Fellowship.