18-year-old man dies in Spokane River near Otis Orchards

An 18-year-old man died Friday afternoon while swimming in the Spokane River near Otis Orchards.

Spokane County Sheriff’s Office deputies and multiple other agencies responded to the possible drowning at about 1:40 p.m. near Starr and River roads, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

Bystanders pulled the teenager from the water and started CPR before first responders arrived and took over. Life Flight Network responded to attempt to take the man to the hospital, but he died at the scene, deputies said.

Witnesses told deputies the man was swimming with a group before he was seen floating face down. Members of the group rushed to rescue him while yelling for others in the area to help. The teen was not wearing a life jacket.

The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office will identify the man and his cause and manner of death.

The teen death was the second one in the past week in the Spokane River.

William Hemos, 19, died July 13 at Coyote Rock, a popular swimming area in Spokane Valley.

Hemos and three others were pulled from the water after a reported drowning. The three others were rescued. None of the four was wearing life jackets, the Spokane Valley Fire Department said.

The sheriff’s office urges residents to wear life jackets, especially at the Spokane River.

“Please remember that the Spokane River can appear to be a safe, refreshing place to escape the heat, but it is still cold, and the current can be very deceptive,” the sheriff’s office said in the release. “Every summer, the lives of swimmers, or people recreating on or near the river while enjoying its beauty, have been tragically lost.”