Boy, 8, drowns in Sandy River in Gresham

GRESHAM, Ore. (AP) — Authorities say an 8-year-old boy drowned Tuesday afternoon in the Sandy River east of Portland.

News outlets reports the child had been near Oxbow Park in Gresham with family members and was playing in the water when he disappeared.

Battalion Chief Jason McGowan says search and rescue crews from the Gresham Fire Department found the child’s body around 2:30 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Gresham Fire, the boy was swimming without a life jacket when he went under the water around 12:55 p.m, KGW reported.

There was no cellphone service in the area. The boy had not been seen for 20-30 minutes by the time a 911 call got through to emergency dispatchers.