Kayaker dies in “incident” with ferry on Willamette River

A view of the Peoria boat ramp on the Willamette River, as seen on their website, July 1, 2023 (Linn County)

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A kayaker has died after what authorities described as an “incident” on the Buena Vista Ferry in Polk County.

According to the Polk County Fire District, emergency crews responded to a water rescue on the Willamette River shortly after 5 p.m. on Thursday, where one person was found dead. It is unclear how the person died.

Polk County Fire District 1 posted on Facebook: “The death of one person has been confirmed while kayaking on the Willamette River near the ferry.”

Several emergency responders were on scene, including the Linn County dive team. The investigation is ongoing.

This is a developing story and will be updated.