RedactedNarrative: Vessel – 10' NRS Inflatable Kayak (Rental) – Year Unknown
  Owner – Rill Adventures
  
  On 07/18/2017, at about 01:20 p.m., this vessel was drifting on the Yakima River around SR 821 MP 15.5 located near Ellensburg, WA in Kittitas county.  
  
  According to the reporting Officer, on this date at about 01:52 p.m., he was dispatched to this location regarding a CPR in progress on a river rafter.  Once he arrived at this location, he made his way down the east back of the river near the location known as “Pac man” or “Smiley-Rock”.  He saw Victim on his back with Fire Department personnel attempting to resuscitate him.  The victim's wife was sitting down on the rock ledge just up the path from her husband.
  
  The Officer quickly spoke with two subjects on the shore.  Both stated they were driving by when the raft occupants waved them down.  When they arrived, Victim was already out of the water.  They both indicated that they did not help with CPR, they only contacted 911.  
  
  Victim’s wife told the Officer that she and Victim were floating down the river in inflatable kayaks when they attempted to exit the river for lunch.  Victim was wearing a PFD but took it off to help with handling the kayak and exiting the river.  When Victim reached the east bank he grabbed a branch causing him to flip.  Victim’s wife said Victim was swimming but floating down the river.  She then removed her PFD and threw it to Victim.  She believed that Victim had her PFD so she paddled to his overturned kayak.  While trying to grab and retrieve his kayak, Victim’s wife also capsized.  The Officer asked Victim’s wife if she had gotten back in her kayak after flipping and she said “no”.
  
  Victim’s wife told the Officer that three subjects in a raft had pulled her from the river and into their raft.  She indicated that the men in the raft pulled Victim from the water and started doing CPR.  
  
  To summarize witness1’s statement, he indicated that they saw  Victim' overturned kayak and collected it but did not seen anyone nearby.  They later located Victim’s wife holding onto a bush and her kayak downriver.  Two people pulled Victim’s wife into their boat and she told them she was missing her husband (Victim).  While drifting downriver they located Victim, face down in the Eddy, pulled him into the raft and beached the raft and one kayak.  Once on shore CPR was started and continued until a Deputy arrived and assisted.  CPR was continued until Fire Department personnel arrived and took over.
  
  NOTE:  Victim was pulled from the Eddy located at the “Pac man”, “Smiley Rock” outcropping.  At that location the river Eddy on the east side of the Yakima makes a brief upstream flow behind and in front of the rock outcropping.  The water at the Eddy is deeper and causes a conflicting current line between the Yakima River main flow and the brief up river Eddy wash.  The Yakima River was running high up to the shrub line of trees and grass on the bank.  
  
  NOTE:  A Rill Adventures employee arrived to collect the kayak and attempt to locate the outstanding kayak.  He indicated to Officers that he had provided both Victim and Victim’s wife a safety briefing just prior to their departure. He stated that he personally put Victim' PFD on and remembers Victim saying it was “very tight”.      
  
  0 Injuries / 1 Fatality
  No Apparent Alcohol Involvement
  No Vessel Damage Reported
  The Operator/Deceased was wearing a PFD but had taken it off just prior to the incident
  The Operator/Deceased did not have a Mandatory Boater Education Card
  