Boat captain presumed dead after capsizing on the Columbia River

HOOD RIVER, Ore. — A Woodland man is presumed dead after a boat capsized on the Columbia River near Hood River, Oregon.

According to the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office, Michael Shufeldt was on a commercial guide boat that capsized Thursday afternoon near the Mouth of the White Salmon River.

Six other people were aboard the capsized vessel, and deputies say they were pulled from the water. Two were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Shufeldt was nowhere to be seen.

“Conditions at the time of the accident were treacherous, and preliminary evidence suggests a tragic accident,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Search efforts included assistance from Columbia River Intertribal Fisheries officers, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Skamania County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Coast Guard, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue, and civilian volunteers.

Addicted Fishing has created a GoFundMe to support Shufeldt’s family.

He leaves behind a wife and children.

“As a fishing community that thrives on connection and support, we have the opportunity to rally together and provide some financial relief for them,” the fundraising site says.

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