River Rafting Trip Turns Into Rescue Mission

Brianna Washburne hugs onto her husband Nathan Washburne after emergency personnel safely delivered him back to shore.

A Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office Press Release

On Sunday, June 03, 2018, at approximately 4:30 p.m. the Mahaska County Sheriffs Office was notified of a capsized inflatable raft being found tangled in a logjam on the South Skunk River, between Highway 63 and the Glendale access (2149 Oxford Avenue). This raft was identified as belonging to Nathan Washburne. Washburne’s friends and family reported that he had entered the Skunk River at Hwy 63 at approximately 2:30 p.m. and never arrived to the Glendale access. After friends and family were unable to locate Washburne along the river, the Sheriffs Office was contacted.

Sheriffs Officials began searching the river and the land alongside of the river for Washburne. Three search and rescue boats were launched from the Glendale access by the Oskaloosa Fire Department, the Mahaska County Emergency Management Agency, and the New Sharon Fire Department.

At approximately 5:20 p.m., Washburne was found safely along the North side of the river. He reported that after entering the river earlier and boating for several minutes, his raft suffered a puncture and began to deflate. At one point it became apparent to Washburne that he would need to exit the raft and swim to shore. After being transported to the Glendale Access, Washburne was examined by Paramedics. Other than exhaustion, Washburne suffered
no further injuries as a result of this incident.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted in this search and rescue by the Oskaloosa Fire Department, the Mahaska County Emergency Management Agency, the New Sharon Fire Department, the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Reserve Unit, the New Sharon Police Department, the Mahaska Health Partnership and the Mahaska County 911 Dispatch Center.