Clackamas County, OR. – Official Release: The search for the missing kayaker, a 20-year-old man from California, remains ongoing. The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team, along with the Marine Unit, continues coordinated efforts to locate the individual.
The blue kayak the man was last seen operating was recovered near Elk Rock Island on the Willamette River, approximately 7.5 river miles downstream of Willamette Falls.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office urges anyone who is recreating on the Willamette River between Oregon City and Milwaukie to please report any items or information that may assist searchers in their efforts.
Further updates will be provided as available.
ADDITIONAL TIPS & INFORMATION WANTED: Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Sheriff’s Office Tip Line — by phone at 503-723-4949 or by using the online email form at: http://www.clackamas.us/sheriff/tip
Search and rescue efforts resumed for the missing kayaker Sunday morning, April 13, 2025. Members of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Clackamas Fire District, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Lake Oswego Fire Department are actively involved in the ongoing operation.
At approximately 7:15 a.m., the U.S. Coast Guard located the missing subject’s blue hard-shell kayak. The kayak was then recovered by members of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit.
Search efforts remain underway this afternoon with the continued use of both marine and aerial drone resources. Clackamas Search and Rescue (CSAR) volunteers have also joined the search.
At this time, the identity of the missing man is not being released. The family has respectfully requested privacy and has requested no contact from the media.
At approximately 10:52 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, 2025, multiple 911 callers reported observing a kayaker in distress on the Willamette River, just upstream of Willamette Falls in Oregon City. A short time later, witnesses stated the individual, a lone adult male, was seen going over the falls and did not resurface.
Emergency responders from the Clackamas County Water Rescue Consortium, including Clackamas Fire District #1, Lake Oswego Fire Department, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, and the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit, quickly initiated a coordinated search effort. They were supported on land by additional personnel from the Sheriff’s Office, Canby Police Department, Oregon City Police Department, and the West Linn Police Department.
To enhance the search operation, aerial support was provided by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft from the Portland Police Bureau.
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