Search suspended for Tacoma man who fell into Puyallup River

A Tacoma man fell Monday into the Puyallup River, drawing rescue attempts from an array of local emergency-response agencies.

The man’s wife told authorities he had fallen into the water shortly after 5 p.m., said Guy Overby, Central Pierce Fire and Rescue assistant chief. Rescue teams were told the man was a nonswimmer in his late 40s who was not wearing a life jacket, Overby said.

He was believed to be alone in the water, Overby said.

The city of Sumner tweeted just after 9:30 p.m. that the search was suspended due to darkness. The tweet said that crews would return to the river Tuesday morning and “develop more specific strategy when they assess the weather.”

Sumner police spokeswoman Carmen Palmer said the man had been fishing in the river from near the Sumner Link trail when he slipped and fell into the water.

Rescue divers went into the river to search for the man and a Coast Guard helicopter assisted in in the search, Palmer said.

Responders from East Pierce Fire and Rescue and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office also aided the search for the missing man.

This story was originally published May 29, 2017 at 6:52 PM with the headline "Search suspended for Tacoma man who fell into Puyallup River."