Woman dies inner-tubing at Potholes Reservoir
Swift water rescue crews from around Grant County search for the woman's body.
POTHOLES RESERVOIR - A 30-year-old woman died Sunday afternoon while inner-tubing in the Potholes Reservoir. Drowning is suspected.
According to Grant County Sheriff's Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman, the woman was part of an extended family outing. Her name will be released after notification of family.
Emergency responders were called at about 3 p.m. to the north end of Potholes State Park. Witnesses said the woman and at least two others were riding separate inner tubes on a channel which feeds the reservoir.
The woman fell off her inner tube in some rapids, and she did not resurface, witnesses said. The water flows at between 3-10 mph in that channel.
Swift water rescue crews from Grant County fire districts 5, 10 and 11 and the Moses Lake Fire Department and the Grant County Sheriff's Search and Rescue responded along with sheriff's deputies and state park rangers. The woman's body was recovered at about 6:30 p.m.
The woman's remains were placed in the care of Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison. His staff will conduct an autopsy and release her name.
The 32,820-acre Potholes Reservoir is northeast of Royal City. It gathers wastewater and return flows from irrigated farmland upstream and stores it for reuse on farmland downstream. It is popular for water recreation, fishing and hunting.