On a swollen stretch of the Yakima River near Benton City and West Richland, two stranded goats nicknamed “Billy” and “The Kid” wound up in the kind of weekend adventure no one asked for. Volunteer rescuers, working in fast, debris-filled water, managed to haul the pair to safety and reunite them with their owners.
How Rescuers Pulled the Goats to Shore
Columbia Basin Dive Rescue teams were already answering calls about stranded paddleboarders and animals when they spotted the goats clinging to a plastic stock tank caught in the current. Navigating the high water, crews used a lasso to snag the animals and bring them to shore, then checked them for injuries before returning them home once the owners were found, according to The News Tribune.
River Levels and Warnings
The Yakima River crested at just under 13.4 feet at the Kiona gauge, nudging it past the National Weather Service’s 13-foot minor flood stage for that spot. Moderate flood stage is 14.5 feet, which helps explain why low-lying paths and launches wound up threatened this week, according to National Weather Service river data for Kiona.
Closures and Local Impacts
The high water did not just strand goats. The pedestrian pathway under the Van Giesen Street bridge was shut down after being submerged, parts of the West Richland golf course were closed by encroaching water, and the boat launches in Benton City and West Richland were still closed on Monday. At Beach RV Park, the deck reached the waterline, although RV spaces stayed dry, and crews kept a close eye on conditions, according to The News Tribune.
A Historic Perspective
For longtime locals, this week’s crest was serious but not legendary. Historical records show the Yakima near Kiona surged to nearly 21 feet in February 1996, according to USGS data for the Yakima River at Kiona. Spring runoff can quickly send the river toward flood stage, and agencies continue to urge residents to steer clear of walking or driving through floodwater and to follow advisories from emergency officials and the National Weather Service.
