Search Resumes Today for Missing Teen Swimmer

Salem-News.com will have more on this story as soon as it becomes available.

Searchers from both the Polk County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol unit and the Linn County Sheriff's Office Dive Team plan to be on the Willamette Riverearly on Wednesday to resume the search for a missing 16-year-old swimmer. Photo courtesy: Polk County Sheriff

(SALEM, Ore. ) - Just after 7:00 PM on Tuesday, the Polk County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol unit responded to the Wallace Marine Park area for a report of a missing 16-year-old male.

The Sheriff's Office immediately responded to the area within just a couple of minutes of the report and located a male on the east bank – just down from the Salem Railroad Bridge.

17-year-old Alexander Klawuhn informed the deputies that he and his friend were trying to swim across the river when they got about halfway across and got into trouble.

They thought they could float down to the Railroad Bridge but ended up going past the bridge when 16-year-old Zachery Harle began having trouble staying afloat.

Klawuhn hung on to Harle as long as he could before he had to let go as he too was having trouble staying afloat.

The Salem Fire Rescue boat was also called out to assist and was on the water within just a few minutes of the report to help search the area for Harle but due to nightfall, the search had to be suspended until daylight.

Searchers from both the Polk County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol unit and the Linn County Sheriff's Office Dive Team plan to be on the water early on Wednesday to resume the search for Harle.

Sheriff Wolfe said "the Willamette River can be very deceiving to boaters and swimmers as the current doesn't seem very strong and area gravel bars tend to make people think the river isn't very deep. But areas around the pilings are very deep and the current can be very swift – not to mention the submerged logs that can easily catch a swimmer off guard and pull the best of swimmers under water".