At approximately 2:08 p.m. on October 1, 2026, the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office received multiple reports of a small boat adrift near the end of the sandbar in the Columbia River.
A short time later, the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol located a fishing kayak in the area with its trolling motor still running. A search for the owner began immediately, with assistance from the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office plane, the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Police, and the Hood River Police Department.
The kayak’s owner was later identified as David Kalousdian of Hood River. He was not located during the search and is presumed deceased. Search efforts will continue, but the mission is now considered a recovery operation.