Mossyrock, Lewis County, WA – A boat capsized on Riffe Lake near Mossyrock on Saturday, leaving two adults and a child stranded in dangerously cold water before a swift rescue brought them to safety.
According to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded earlier in the day after reports that a vessel had overturned on the lake. The three victims were found clinging to their capsized boat in frigid conditions, prompting an urgent rescue effort with assistance from nearby citizens.
Authorities said two individuals at a nearby boat launch helped deputies reach the stranded group quickly. All three victims were wearing life jackets at the time of the incident, a factor officials say likely prevented a more serious outcome. The group was safely pulled from the water and transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment of possible hypothermia.
Riffe Lake, located in Lewis County south of the Tacoma metro area, is known for cold water conditions even during warmer months, increasing the risk of hypothermia in emergencies. Officials emphasized that water temperatures in the region remain dangerously low this time of year.
