RAINIER, OR (KPTV) -
The Coast Guard called off its search Tuesday for a man who fell from a sternwheeler on the Columbia River.
Crew members from the Queen of the West called the Coast Guard at about 1:10 a.m. while docked in Rainier.
Investigators said the man fell off the back of the boat while it was moored at the dock. Witnesses said they saw the man surface once before they lost sight of him.
A shirt located in the water matched one being worn by the man who fell overboard, a Coast Guard spokesman said, but it hasn't been confirmed that the article of clothing belonged to him.
A Coast Guard response boat led the search efforts Tuesday, and a helicopter and Columbia County crews also searched overnight. But local deputies suspended their search after about four hours, and the Coast Guard helicopter was also called back to Astoria.
The Coast Guard crew on the response boat continued to search for the man, who hasn't been identified, but has since suspended its search. Meanwhile, the Queen of the West is headed for Stevenson, WA.
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