15-year-old swimming with friends is pulled under by current and vanishes, WA cops say

A teenager drowned in a river after being unable to make it to shore, Washington officials said.

At 6:15 p.m. on Aug. 12, Cowlitz County officials were sent to the Cowlitz River near Lexington after getting reports of a 15-year-old “struggling to swim,” according to an Aug. 14 Facebook post by the sheriff’s department.

Three friends were trying to cross the river and realized halfway across that the current was strong, so they turned around to get back to shore, officials said.

A bystander saw two swimmers struggling and jumped into the water and helped one of the boys, deputies said.

The 15-year-old, later identified as Zander Medina of Longview, was pulled under water, according to the release.

Deputies sent out a boat to search the area, officials said.

The dive team recovered Medina’s body minutes later, deputies said.

Lexington is about 120 miles southwest of Seattle.

This story was originally published August 14, 2023 at 8:49 AM with the headline "15-year-old swimming with friends is pulled under by current and vanishes, WA cops say."