Man presumed drowned in Columbia River after boat flips

A man is presumed drowned after a speeding boat flipped Sunday on the Columbia River.

Authorities identified the missing man as Michael Hoang Trinh, 45, of Portland. He was not wearing a life jacket. He went under the water and did not resurface, the sheriff’s office said.

Authorities were called shortly before 2 p.m. to Broughton Beach Park in Portland for a water rescue. A boat had reportedly flipped while making a high-speed turn, ejecting both people on board. The operator was rescued by a private boat and taken to shore, according to the Multnomah County, Ore., Sheriff’s Office.

The agency’s River Patrol Unit, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard, Port of Portland Fire Department, Portland Fire and Rescue, Portland Police Bureau, Clark County Sheriff’s Office and AMR responded to the scene off of Marine Drive just downriver of Portland International Airport, according to the sheriff’s office.

It announced the effort was being considered a recovery operation and that dive teams were at work in the river. Emergency responders searched the area where the man was last seen, but despite hours of searching by air, boat and underwater, the man was not located. The search was called off, but marine deputies will continue to patrol the area, the sheriff’s office said.

The boat operator is cooperating with the investigation. Impairment does not appear to be a factor, according to the sheriff’s office.