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Portland, Oregon
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The Yakama Nation Fisheries Enforcement, Columbia River Inter-Tribal
Fisheries Enforcement, Skamania County Sheriff’s Office, and
the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary are continuing search efforts
for three tribal fishermen who went missing on the Columbia River
Wednesday morning when they failed to return from salmon fishing.
Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fisheries Enforcement is leading the
effort.
Yakama Nation officials have identified the missing fishermen,
all Yakama Nation tribal members, as:
- Gailen Espirito
- James Peter, Jr.
- Rommel Strom
A fishing boat along with personal effects was recovered mid-day
Wednesday near Home Valley State Park seven miles East of Stevenson,
Washington. Family members, tribal spiritual leaders and volunteers
are keeping a vigil at the park.
Search efforts are focusing on both Oregon and Washington shorelines
as well as surface water searches ranging from river mile 153 (2
miles east of the mouth of the Wind River) downstream to Bonneville
Dam. Dive searches by the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office
and aerial searches by the U.S. Coast Guard have been suspended.
Wind and rough water conditions have hampered search efforts. Dive
and aircraft resources will be deployed as circumstances warrant.
Anyone with information of the missing fishermen is asked
to call the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fisheries Enforcement at
1-800-487-3474 or the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office at
1-509-427-9490.
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About CRITFC
The Portland-based Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission is
the technical support and coordinating agency for fishery management
policies of the Columbia River Basin's four treaty tribes: the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes
of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes
and Bands of the Yakama Nation and the Nez Perce Tribe.
CRITFC, formed in 1977, employs biologists, other scientists, public
information specialists, policy analysts and administrators who work
in fisheries research and analyses, advocacy, planning and coordination,
harvest control and law enforcement. |
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