HOOD RIVER, Ore — A search continues for a person who went missing after a fishing boat capsized Wednesday afternoon on the Columbia River, now considered a recovery mission.
The Hood River County Sheriff's Office has identified the person as Michael Shufeldt of Woodland, Wash. Shufeldt's family is asking for privacy at this time.
"Outgoing, funny guy," said Robert Day, who's fished with Shufeldt multiple times. "Real fishing guide, knows this area really well. ... Real good guy."
According to the Hood River County Sheriff's Office, around 11:39 a.m. on Wednesday, a call reported an overturned boat near the mouth of the White Salmon River. Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies responded.
Officers arrived 15 minutes later and six people onboard the capsized fishing boat were pulled out of the water and taken to shore. Two of those people were transported to a hospital. Their condition is unknown.
However, the seventh person, Shufeldt, was not located, the Hood River County Sheriff's Office said.
“I’m glad that all six people got out of the water," said Day, of Woodland's Anglers Unlimited. "It’s just confusing why (they) went with (the) boat.”
The boat, a 24-feet North River fishing boat was last seen in the area of the green navigation buoy near the White Salmon inlet. It was found at 2 p.m. Thursday by the Skamania County Dive Team at a depth of around 40 feet, near the mouth of the White Salmon River.
The boat appeared to have sunk after "rapidly deteriorating weather conditions" and capsized after a large wave hit the stern, or the back, of the boat, the Hood River County Sheriff's Office said.
“This river changes real quick," Day said. "I’ve seen it go from flat calm to four-foot waves in the matter of a half hour.”
Steve Leonard, a fishing guide, who was on the water that day said the river was rough in the morning. He said it wasn't supposed to get "too windy," but then a storm rolled in and when that happens, "if you’re already out there, you’re in it.”
Both Day and Leonard have been fishing on the Columbia River for over 30 years and knew the person who went missing. Leonard recalled seeing the fishing boat before it capsized as he was heading back to the dock.
"I was coming in very slow, and it was actually pretty calm at that time," he said. "As soon as I got back to the boat ramp was when the storm pushed through."
When that happens, Leonard said, "it just erupts out here,' adding very quickly, there were 35 to 40 miles per hour winds.
"I had waved at (them) on my way back in, and they were standing up in the boat," he said.
But when Leonard had gone back out to dump his fish carcasses in the river, he said noticed several boats, including a sheriff's boat in the spot where he had waved to his friend earlier.
"I knew something had happened," Leonard added.
He explained the section of the river where he recalled seeing them was rather notorious for being difficult to navigate in rough water. The formation of the riverbed there tends to cause steep waves that would build rather close together, he said.
"You have to be straight on with these waves," he added. "If you're sideways, it's all over, pretty much."
The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office, Columbia River Intertribal Fisheries Officers, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office and some civilian boats helped with the initial search, along with a Hood River County Sheriff’s Office plane and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter from the Astoria Station.
The search continued Thursday morning with law enforcement and more civilian boats.
“As far as me and my fellow fisherman buddies," Leonard said, "we need to come together, whether it’s today, tomorrow, a couple days. Just got to keep an eye out and spend some time on the river."
"It could be anybody, I would want (them) to do it for me,” he added.