PORT ANGELES — The Lower Elwha Klallam tribe was grieving the loss of 13-year-old tribal member Aaron L. Peters, who died by accidental drowning at a leadership camp in Gresham, Ore.
Lt. Steve Alexander, spokesman for the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, said the boy drowned Wednesday afternoon while trying to cross the Sandy River with about 30 other young people in a group of 100 youngsters at Oxbow Park west of Portland, Ore.
Tribal Chairwoman Frances Charles said Thursday that Peters was attending a Native American leadership camp.
Peters’ family members had already traveled to Gresham by Thursday.
“Right now, we’re kind of staying numb with everything that’s going on,” Charles said.
“We are dealing with it as best we can right now.
“Everyone is closely tied together one way or another.”
Alexander said the Sandy River is 100 to 150 feet across from one side to the other where the teenagers decided to wade across the waterway from bank to bank.
Alexander said Peters was last seen near where the teens started to cross the river.
“They went and walked about 30 feet or so where it was shallow, and it started to get deeper,” he said, when the teens began swimming across.
“Kids continued to swim across the rest of the way from where they started, and they got to the other side, and he was not there anymore,” Alexander said.
“They were not sure whether he turned around and started to look for him.”
Emergency dispatchers received a 9-1-1 call at 3:40 p.m. and sent out sheriff’s deputies, the Multnomah County River Patrol and Gresham Fire and Emergency Services.
Alexander said Peters’ body was discovered about 20 to 30 feet from the bank in about 6 feet of water at 4:16 p.m.
Alexander estimated Peters had been underwater for almost an hour.
Alexander said emergency personnel at the scene conducted CPR on Peters, who was later pronounced dead at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham.
It’s the second drowning in a local river this week, according to local news website www.koin.com.
“It’s really unfortunate,” park visitor Matt Schmidtz told the website.
“It hits pretty close to home when you’ve got your little kids here.”
Alexander said the Sandy River, a 56-mile tributary of the Columbia River, can be deceptive.
It looks shallow and can be traversed, but hazards include drop-offs, debris and a strong current.
It is popular with rafters, kayakers and inner-tube enthusiasts.
“Wearing a life jacket any time you’re in the river is the number one thing you can do,” Alexander said.
It was unclear Thursday where Peters attended school.
Tina Smith-O’Hara Smith, Port Angeles School District spokeswoman, said it was school district policy not to release student information.
Peters did not attend school in Crescent School District, a school district official said Thursday.
Charles said she could not answer which district Peters attended.
“We want the family to have breathing space,” she said.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
