Van slips into river; grandmother, 3 kids, dog are OK

NACHES, Wash. – A 64-year-old woman, three grandchildren and a dog escaped with minor injuries Monday afternoon after their van slid off U.S. Highway 12 into the Tieton River about 16 miles west of Naches.

The grandmother was eastbound on the highway with the children – ages 6, 9 and 12 – when she turned a corner, left the road and overcorrected, causing the van to roll over the edge of the riverbank and into the water, said Washington State Patrol Trooper David Munoz.

Water in the river was deep enough to reach about halfway up the doors of the silver Dodge Caravan.

A passing motorist saw the accident and stopped to try to pull the people out using ropes, Munoz said.

However, it was responders with the State Patrol, Yakima County Sheriff’s Office, Yakima County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue and local fire departments who were able to pull the children and woman out safely and quickly.

The grandmother was taken to a local hospital with scratches and bruises, but there were no major injuries, Munoz said.

Responders stayed behind to rescue a small dog, which was barking and shivering, pacing from the passenger side to the driver’s side of the van.

Authorities said the children are from Tumwater and the grandmother is from Olympia.