USCG Helicopter was searching Friday for a fisherman that fell out of a boat near the 28th st. launch. I don't have details other than what was in the local paper. As of Saturday morning he has not been located.

Just heard about a 5 year old boy that drowned on the Sky near Monroe today, family outing, boat hit logjam and everyone ended up in the river, pretty sad story. Be careful out there.

What a shame. Just 2 blocks from my house.

Life jacket would have prevented this. Of course, I never wear mine either.

How about you???? fp

Hoquiam man who fell from boat still missing

By Lisa Patterson -- Daily World writer

The 32 - year - old Hoquiam man who fell from a boat while fishing on the Chehalis River Friday night is still missing.

Raleigh Berg, an electrician at Grays Harbor Paper L.P. in Hoquiam, fell out of the 12 - foot fishing boat at about 8 p.m. near the 28th Street dock in Hoquiam.

Search crews scoured the area for three hours Friday night and resumed the search Saturday morning. They had to call it off again at 3 p.m. due to windy weather, Hoquiam Police Sergeant Steve Fretts said.

Crews are expected to resume a scaled - back search today.

"We're at the mercy of the sea and the mercy of the weather," Fretts said. The water is too murky and the current too swift to allow divers to look for him, Fretts added.

"It basically couldn't be a worse spot," he said. "There is zero visibility once you get more than five feet under. There are fish nets, lines and too many hazards to allow divers to go under."

Berg was fishing with two friends, Lawrence Nacke, 38, of Hoquiam, and Dennis Berkley, 32, of Westport, when he stood up and fell out of the boat.

He wasn't wearing a life vest, Fretts said. The friends got a glimpse of his feet coming out of the water and then Nacke jumped in and tried to rescue him.

"When he jumped in, he couldn't locate him," Fretts said. "He had his cell phone in his pocket, but it got wet. So they called over another boat and they called 911."

Within 20 minutes, the Hoquiam Fire Department had their inflatable rescue boat in the water. Soon after, rescuers from the Cosmopolis Fire Department joined in and the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter was searching a several mile area from above.

The men had been fishing since 3 p.m. and were just getting ready to call it quits when the accident happened, Fretts said.

"We're going to continue searching and his family has indicated they're going to do the same," Fretts said. "We are doing hourly checks of the river banks."

Today, an off - duty firefighter donated his time and expense and flew an aircraft over the area to help assist in the search, and an off - duty police officer looked for Berg with his personal boat, Fretts said.

Berg has a 13 - year - old daughter, Erin.

"That's the most difficult thing, notifying the family," Fretts said. "You can imagine how they feel." Even after rescue crews called off the search today, Berg's girlfriend was out on a boat looking for him, Fretts said.

The sergeant wants to remind boaters to play it safe.

"If he (Berg) had been wearing some type of floatation device, we wouldn't be in this situation today," Fretts said. "It only takes couple seconds for an accident to happen - even if you're a good swimmer."

Anyone who witnessed the accident or sees anything relevant to the search should call the Hoquiam Police Department at 532 - 0892.

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