Authorities search near Boulder Beach after swimmer reportedly caught in current Saturday

Multiple agencies searched near Boulder Beach on Saturday evening after a man was reportedly caught in the current of the Spokane River.

Authorities continued searching Sunday, but had not found the man, said Cpl. Mark Gregory, spokesman for the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department was called to the 8100 block of Maringo Drive in Millwood just after 4:30 p.m., according to a news release. Rescuers were first told an unoccupied kayak was spotted in the river, then that an approximately 20-year-old man was reported in the water and unable to surface, according to the news release.

A helicopter and dive team from the Sheriff’s Office assisted in the search, including the use of sonar, Gregory said. The operation has been changed to a recovery effort, and deputies were on the water Sunday afternoon, he said.

Gregory said callers reported that the man in the water was not wearing a life jacket.

The Fire Department warned residents that the Spokane River is currently running high with spring runoff and that water temperatures pose a hypothermia risk.