Search suspended for man missing since late-night dive into Crooked River at Cove Palisades State Park

(Update: Search suspended due to poor visibility in water; special gear sought)

CULVER, Ore. (KTVZ) – One of two men who jumped into the Crooked River from a bridge late Sunday night slipped under the water and did not resurface, prompting a search that continued Monday afternoon with a dive team but was eventually suspended due to poor visibility in the water, Jefferson County Sheriff Jason Pollock said.

The two men dove into the water from the Crooked River Bridge just south of the Crooked River Day-Use Area at The Cove Palisades State Park, Pollock said.

One swam to shore before a responding deputy arrived, after their vehicle was reported to be in the middle of the two-lane bridge, blocking both lanes, the sheriff said.

“As the deputy arrived, the second subject disappeared under the water,” Pollock told NewsChannel 21.

Sheriff’s deputies searched the water and shoreline for several hours overnight, but the man could not be found. Search crews were back in the area Monday, and a dive team from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office was assisting them, Pollock said.

The sheriff later said the search was suspended early Monday evening because a large algae bloom makes visibility in the water difficult.

The man’s name has not been released pending family notification, Pollock said, adding that both men were intoxicated.

Pollock said they are contacting an agency with specialized equipment called side-scan sonar to assist in the search.