Man presumed drowned in Columbia identified as Portland man

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - A swimmer who went missing in the Columbia River over the weekend and was presumed drowned has been identified, as recovery crews continue to search for his remains.

According to a statement from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office on Monday afternoon, the swimmer is 35-year-old Kevin McDowell, of Portland. McDowell reportedly jumped into the river from a boat on Sunday to help a struggling swimmer and did not resurface.

Sheriff’s office dive teams performed additional searches for McDowell on Sunday evening near the western edge of Lemon Island in the Columbia River and searched a very large area in the general location of where the McDowell was last seen. Unfortunately, his body was not located.

On Monday, the sheriff’s office said the divers reported challenging conditions, with limited underwater visibility and strong currents.

Crews will continue to perform searches as conditions allow in the coming days.