Mattawa man drowns in irrigation canal
A Mattawa man was found drowned in an irrigation canal. Authorities want to remind people to avoid entering canals because the currents in them can be unpredictable and deadly.
COURTESY PHOTO/GCSO
MATTAWA — The body of a Mattawa man was discovered late Tuesday after he apparently drowned in an irrigation canal.
The unidentified man, 30 years of age, was found in a canal near Road M Southwest and Road 24 Southwest, about 7 miles west of Mattawa, according to a release from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
Kyle Foreman, GCSO public information officer, said the man may have been working at the edge of the canal bank. His ATV was found on the canal road, still idling. The man was out on the job; his coworkers became concerned when he didn’t return by about 2 p.m.
Foreman said there was evidence he somehow ended up in the canal.
“Maybe he slid or was on something that slid into the canal,” Foreman said.
An irrigation canal can look unthreatening, but it’s a good idea to take precautions around them.
“It can be misleading,” he said.
Depending on the demand for water, the current can be very swift, and the water is cold most of the irrigation season. Once someone ends up in a canal, it can be tough to get out because the banks are steep and can be slippery. In fact, it’s a good idea to stay away from the bank altogether.
“You can’t take it for granted that the soil on the edges is stable enough to not cause you to fall in,” Foreman said.
Children should not be allowed to play along the canal bank, and pets should be kept away too, he said.