The 20-year-old kayaker from California who went missing after going over Willamette Falls late Saturday evening, April 12, was an inexperienced kayaker and might not have known the falls were nearby, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.

A search and rescue team has covered several river miles at and downriver from the falls each day since the kayaker went missing. The crews found his blue hardshell kayak at Elk Rock Island near Milwaukie, about 7.5 miles from the falls, Sunday morning.

Authorities said they are not releasing the name of the man at the request of his family.

Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office marine patrol Sgt. Nate Thompson said that 911 callers who reported the kayaker in distress around 10:52 p.m. Saturday night said he jumped out of his kayak and attempted to swim away from the falls before being pulled over.

One of the 911 calls came from a camp of unhoused people near the railroad tracks below McLoughlin Boulevard, according to the sheriff’s office.

Thompson said patrol boats are out and searching the river between the falls and the island but they don’t know how far the kayaker may have traveled after going over the waterfall.

“In most typical situations a body is not going to go that far — at least not initially – (when) not in a life jacket and we don’t have any indications that he was wearing a life jacket and he would be able to travel that much of a distance,” Thompson said. “Whereas the kayak was buoyant and able to travel that distance.”

The difficulty of searching directly under the falls, Thompson said, makes it possible that the man is trapped at the falls.

“Given the volume and height of the water, it’s impossible for us to search up inside of the falls,” he said. “At this point there’s no evidence that he’s under the falls and no evidence that he’s not under the falls.”

Even using a drone and helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard, visibility at the foot of the falls was very poor due to the amount of water cascading over, Thompson said.

At around 40-50 feet tall, Willamette Falls is the second largest waterfall in North America by volume after Niagara Falls.

According to Thompson, the kayaker was staying with his family at a floating house rental on the Oregon City side of the river, about half a mile from the falls. As visitors from California, the family is not familiar with the area.

There are several signs warning of falls in the area, Thompson said but “I’m not sure if any of them are visible from where he launched from, especially at night.”

The marine patrol sergeant stated that according to the family, the young man did not have a lot of kayaking experience. He may have been in a kayak once or twice on a flat lake, but never on a river.

The sheriff’s office still hasn’t learned why he was out on the river so late, though Thompson said it’s not that uncommon for kayakers, especially groups, to be on the Willamette at night.

‘Faster currents, colder water’
Thompson also advised those on the river this time of year to use extra caution.

“Conditions in the spring time are often quite a bit different than the summer months,” he said. “This time of year we’re dealing with faster currents, colder water temperatures, so making sure you have all the proper safety equipment and that you’re familiar with the area and that you have the experience and skills to navigate different types of water is important.”

In his 25 years with the sheriff’s office, including the past 20 with marine patrol, Thompson said he does not recall a person ever falling over Willamette Falls.