Man drowns after car is swept away by floodwaters in Oregon

YAMHILL COUNTY, Ore. – A man lost his life on Friday after drowning in floodwaters in Yamhill County, Oregon.

A 911 call was received by Yamhill Communications around 7:40am local time on Wednesday, Dec. 19, regarding a vehicle that drove past road closure signs around a flooded area. The driver drove into high water covering a roadway.

The Pacific Northwest has been battling floodwaters over the last two weeks, after an atmospheric river slammed into the region, bringing heavy rain and dangerous conditions.

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According to the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office, the caller saw the vehicle get swept away by the current and off the road into a large flooded area on the south side of the South Yamhill River. A witness observed an occupant of the vehicle get out of the car and into the water.

Deputies from the sheriff's office and the Polk County Sheriff's Office Oregon responded to the call, with support from the Dallas Oregon Police Department and the Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department. The Sheridan Rural Fire Protection District requested assistance from the Salem Fire Department with a water rescue team.

The Dallas Oregon Police Department deployed drones over the area where a body was discovered in the water.

With the help of a local resident with water rescue experience, the Salem Fire Department deployed with an inflatable boat and recovered the victim.

The victim was later identified as a 52-year-old man from Amity, Oregon.

The Yamhill Country Sheriff's Office says, "Many areas in Yamhill County continue to be affected by high water and flooding. We are asking individuals to never drive into high water, and to obey all signage and traffic control devices related to flood affected areas."