FORKS — A Bremerton man was found dead in the Calawah River near Forks.
Clallam County Sheriff’s deputies found the body of Dennis De Leon, 47, on Thursday afternoon, they said in a press release.
The cause of death is under investigation by the Clallam County Coroner’s Office. De Leon’s next of kin have been notified.
“At this time, foul play is not suspected,” according to deputies.
Deputies had been dispatched at 12:46 p.m. to investigate a report of a fisherman on the Calawah River having fallen into the river and perhaps drowned.
The reporting party was contacted. The reporting party guided rescue personnel to a location along the Calawah River located less than one mile upstream from where the Calawah River flows into the Bogachiel River, just upstream from the Bogachiel River Fish Hatchery, according to the release.
Rescuers found an unresponsive man in the Calawah River, laying on rocks near the river bank. They tried unsuccessfully to revive him with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and used a stokes basket and ropes to lift him up the steep riverbank to a logging road, where he was transported by ambulance to the Forks Community Hospital.
Hospital staff continued lifesaving efforts but he was eventually pronounced dead.
De Leon had traveled to the Forks area with three of his friends to go fishing, deputies said.
Rescue personnel were from the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, Forks and La Push police departments, Forks District 1 Fire Department, Quileute Prairie District 6 Fire Department, state Fish and Game and Forks Ambulance personnel.
