Officials ID teen who drowned in Deschutes

Published 5:00 am Friday, August 11, 2006

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday identified the 15-year-old Gresham boy who drowned Wednesday afternoon in the Deschutes River near Benham Falls as Kyle Riedel, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

Riedel was reported missing at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, after he launched himself from a rope swing into a placid stretch of the Deschutes River upstream from the falls. Divers recovered his body around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday about 50 feet downstream of the rope swing, in 8 feet of water.

A group of students held a vigil Thursday night at Gresham High School in remembrance of Riedel, according to Fred Riedel, Kyle’s father. The family is planning a memorial service, but no date has been set yet.

Riedel, 57, who was reached at home Thursday, said he appreciated the efforts of the emergency workers who searched for his son when he was reported missing.

”I do want to say thank you very much to the fire department (there),” he said. ”We have high regard for the people in Bend because everybody was very kind to us.”

The accident occurred when Riedel and five teenage friends, who were staying in Sunriver, went floating down the Deschutes River, according to the news release from the Sheriff’s Office. They saw several youths playing on a rope swing tied to a ponderosa pine tree and decided to stop and join them. It is unknown who put up the rope swing.

Deputies said it was unclear why Riedel drowned, but witnesses had reported that he landed face-first in the water. After splashing into the river, the teen surfaced briefly before slipping below the water. He was not wearing a life jacket.

Searchers in rafts, kayaks and a jet boat joined divers in their efforts to locate Riedel. Teams on foot scoured both banks of the river downstream from the rope swing, and dogs trained in water rescue were deployed.

During the Wednesday search, Sgt. Marvin Combs, of the Des-chutes County Sheriffs Office, said Riedels decision to play on the rope swing was something most teens would have done without mishap.

Fred Riedel said, It wasnt (anything) anybody did carelessly; it was just a huge accident. Unfortunately, it happened to our son.