LONGVIEW — Washington officials are searching for a kayaker who fell into a river on Sunday in Woodland near the border with Oregon.
Mark A. Bunker Jr., 35, fell out of his kayak after 6:30 p.m. on Sunday and has not resurfaced, police said. Bunker had been using his kayak to fish about 300 yards from shore and fell from the kayak as he dropped his line, police said.
Cowlitz County sheriff’s deputies responded with a boat, diver and drone to search for Bunker. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office and Coast Guard soon followed, but the teams were unable to locate Bunker.
“It’s a very difficult area to search,” said Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Chief Criminal Deputy Troy Brightbill said Monday.
Officials are now considering the rescue effort to be a recovery mission as opposed to a rescue search.
