They were stranded on an island after falling off inner tubes in middle of Green River
King County sheriff’s deputies rescued two people from the Green River at Flaming Geyser State Park on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The two people had been trapped on a small island at the park, which is east of Auburn, about 2:45 p.m..
An unconscious female was taken by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle in critical condition; the male with her was uninjured.
The two were joined by a third person while they floated down the Green River on inner tubes, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The three fell off their inner tubes and were swept downstream, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release. The third person was able to rescue herself from the cold river water.
“Rivers are inherently dangerous,” the news release stated. “With winter’s heavy mountain snowpack, much of the Cascade Range is beginning to melt. Rivers in King County are expected to have cold, fast flows throughout the summer.”
Kenny Ocker: 253-597-8627, @KennyOcker
This story was originally published May 23, 2017 at 3:33 PM with the headline "They were stranded on an island after falling off inner tubes in middle of Green River."