On July 12, 2026, at approximately 2:05 pm deputies from the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) responded to a 911 call reporting a person who was seen swimming near Sand Island appeared to be in distress and did not resurface.  Sand Island is located on the east end of Rooster Rock State Park and sits within the Columbia River.

MCSO deputies assigned to the Patrol, River Patrol and Airborne Law Enforcement Support Units began searching the area along with personnel from the Corbett, Gresham and Port of Portland Fire Departments.  Using fixed wing aircraft, a drone and various watercraft, rescue personnel searched the area where the swimmer was last seen for more than an hour.  MCSO deputies assigned to the Dive Team joined the search and eventually located the person's body at approximately 5:15 pm.

The deceased person's body was transferred to the Multnomah County Medical Examiner's Office and no other information is available for release at this time.

In addition to the fire departments listed in this release, MCSO was assisted at the scene by staff by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department who operate Rooster Rock State Park.