A grim discovery was made in the waters of the Columbia River near Portland's Broughton Beach, where a body was found yesterday afternoon, authorities reported. KOIN 6 News confirmed the find through an email statement from a Portland Fire and Rescue spokesperson, detailing that an Airport Fire rescue boat came across the body near the vicinity of 4701 NE Marine Dr.
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call at around 3 p.m, and it was then that the rescue efforts yielded in the recovery of the deceased who was subsequently transported to the Gleason Boat Ramp, there the medical examiner took custody to begin the grim process of determining both identification and cause of death, "The body was recovered and transported by MCSO to the Gleason Boat Ramp to meet the [medical examiner]. The ME will take custody of the body and determine identification and cause of death," relayed a spokesperson for the MCSO in an email obtained by KOIN 6 News; detectives from the MCSO unit are spearheading a death investigation in conjunction with the medical examiner's inquiry.
In a parallel report by KATU, a boater is credited with the initial discovery of the body between Lemon Island and Broughton Beach. The tragic event has sent ripples through the local community, with beachgoer Willy Mangold expressing shock and heartbreak to KATU, saying, "Honestly, I've been calling this place home for seven years, and hearing this news is shocking, it's heartbreaking. I love this water, I treat it like my home." Another beachgoer, identified as Deen Dean, conveyed fear and trepidation about entering the river: "Personally I'm a little scared, I don't know if I exactly want to go out into the water."
While the investigation is still in its infancy, no further details regarding the identity of the body or the circumstances leading up to the person's death have been released, as investigations by the MCSO and the medical examiner's office are ongoing, shared in a brief report by KPTV.
