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St. Helens city administrator goes missing in Columbia River
Oregon Public Broadcasting - OPB • • nation
Key Points:
- St. Helens City Administrator John Walsh went missing after entering the Columbia River near the city docks on Saturday night, prompting an ongoing multi-agency search and rescue operation.
- The search, involving local police, sheriff’s offices, the U.S. Coast Guard, and others, has continued into Sunday without finding Walsh, and the situation remains classified as a search and rescue effort.
- The St. Helens City Council declared an emergency, appointed Finance Director Gloria Butsch as interim city administrator for two weeks, and closed city offices including city hall and the library.
- Walsh had served as city administrator since 2012 and was drawn to the role partly due to his interest in boating and fishing on the Columbia River; he also had local family ties.
- The incident coincides with other drowning tragedies in the region over the weekend, highlighting the dangers posed by cold water temperatures and swift currents despite warm air temperatures.
