Bonney Lake man missing and presumed drowned in Ocean Shores Grand Canal

27-year old could not swim and had no life vest

By Dan Hammock • June 16, 2017 7:00 pm
STEPHANIE MORTON A Coast Guard helicopter hovers over the scene of a boating accident on the Grand Canal in Ocean Shores Wednesday afternoon. According to Ocean Shores Police, a 27-year old Bonney Lake man fell from his boat and was unable to swim and was not wearing a life vest. A search in the area of Browns Point Road and Tonquin Avenue Southwest failed to turn up the man, who is presumed drowned. A dive team from Thurston County will arrive Saturday morning to attempt to recover the body. A 12-year old boy in a separate boat also went into the water but reportedly escaped without injury.
STEPHANIE MORTON A Coast Guard helicopter hovers over the scene of a boating accident on the Grand Canal in Ocean Shores Wednesday afternoon. According to Ocean Shores Police, a 27-year old Bonney Lake man fell from his boat and was unable to swim and was not wearing a life vest. A search in the area of Browns Point Road and Tonquin Avenue Southwest failed to turn up the man, who is presumed drowned. A dive team from Thurston County will arrive Saturday morning to attempt to recover the body. A 12-year old boy in a separate boat also went into the water but reportedly escaped without injury.

A 27-year old Bonney Lake man is missing and presumed dead in the Grand Canal in Ocean Shores after his boat flipped Friday and he was unable to make it to shore, according to Ocean Shores Police Sgt. David McManus.

“We had two people go in the water,” said McManus. He said the Bonney Lake man and an unidentified 12-year old boy were in a kayak and a canoe when the Bonney Lake man’s boat capsized. McManus said the Bonney Lake man “had no life vest and didn’t know how to swim.” He called for help but quickly slipped beneath the surface.

The 12-year old boy was able to make it to shore with no apparent injuries. Ocean Shores Police and a helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard spent hours combing the area but were unable to find the man. It was unclear which was in the kayak and which was in the canoe.

“We’re in recovery mode now,” said McManus. A dive team from Thurston County will be on the scene some time Saturday morning to attempt to recover the body.

An ambulance that arrived at the scene this afternoon was spotted in the 900 block of Point Brown Road, at the intersection of Tonquin Avenue Southwest, the area where the incident is believed to have occurred some time after 3 p.m.