Overturned rowboat leaves one man missing while two swim to safety at Purdy spit

A rowboat with three men on board overturned underneath the Purdy bridge Friday night. Two of the men made it to shore while the search continues on Saturday for the third.

The two men were suffering from hypothermia and were treated on scene, said Key Peninsula Fire spokeswoman Anne Nesbit.

The three men appear to have been staying on a sailboat moored near the spit the last several days, Nesbit said. The rowboat was apparently their means of getting to and from shore.

On Friday around 6:40 p.m., they rowed underneath the bridge during a tide change, when currents are particularly rough, she said.

“They were not wearing life jackets,” Nesbit said.

The missing man is in his 20s.

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“We’re in a recovery mode right now,” Nesbit said.

Crews from Gig Harbor Fire, Key Peninsula Fire, Tacoma Fire, Pierce County Sheriff’s Department and the Coast Guard have been involved with the search.

Several dive teams arrived Friday evening but conditions were too rough to dive, Nesbit said.

On Saturday, the Sheriff’s Office had divers on scene. They are using sonar to search the water.

“If they find a target they will then launch a dive team,” Nesbit said.

The search will continue until about 4 p.m., she said.

Cox Media Group