Search Continues for 2 Missing Columbia River Boaters

The Benton County Sheriff's Department spent much of Saturday evening and Sunday helping Umatilla County officials search for a two missing boaters.

Benton County and Columbia Basin Dive Rescue got a call from the Umatilla County Sheriff's Department about the two missing people in a boat. They were reported missing from the area of Hat Rock State Park, about six miles east of where I-82 crosses the Columbia River into Oregon.

The two people were said to be a woman, and another person, and they were not believed to be wearing life jackets. The search began around 7:30pm Saturday night. Authorities did not say if the people fell out of a boat, or if their boat was found with no one aboard. The exact circumstances were not divulged.

As of Sunday afternoon, Benton County Sheriff's Deputies and Dive Rescue said they had not located the missing persons.