The body of a Sweet Home
fisherman was recovered Friday
morning from the South Santiam
River after he was reported missing
Thursday night, Sheriff Tim Muel-
ler said.
David Wade Lytle, 61, was
reported overdue at about 11 p.m.
Thursday by his wife, Alma Lytle,
who told deputies her husband had
gone fishing.
She said she had talked to him
by cell phone earlier in the after-
noon so she was able to give depu-
ties a description of where he might
be. At about 11:40 p.m., a Linn
County Deputy located David Ly-
tle’s vehicle, a red 1995 Ford F150
pickup, in the parking area near
Bates Bridge, near the intersection
of Pleasant Valley and McDowell
Creek roads.
Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Flint
Lebard said Lytle had been fishing
from the river bank.
Deputies and members of
the Linn County Sheriff’s Search
and Rescue Post searched the area
throughout the night but couldn’t
locate Lytle. An Army National
Guard helicopter crew spotted his
body at approximately 7:30 a.m.
Friday, about 500 yards down-
stream from the bridge. His body
was recovered from the river and
transported to Sweet Home Funeral
Chapel.
Mueller said investigation has
revealed no sign of foul play.
“It appears that Mr. Lytle
drowned,” he said.
Lebard said a post-mortem
conducted over the weekend con-
firmed that.
Lytle’s death was the first of
three drownings in the area over
the weekend.
On Saturday afternoon at
about 6:40 p.m., Robert Kroesing,
21, from Albany, was pulled by Al-
bany Fire Department divers from
the Calapooia River, about 200
yards from the confluence of the
Willamette River.
Witnesses had reported Kroes-
ing struggling in the water and that
he had gone under.
Albany Fire Department sur-
face divers entered the Calapooia
River at Monteith Park to search
for Kroesing and a rescue water
craft with fire department water
rescue specialists on board was
also launched from the Takena Park
boat landing.
A fire department rescue sur-
face diver located the swimmer at a
depth approximately 6 1/2 feet un-
derwater approximately 21 minutes
after the
first
fire department unit
arrived. His body was recovered
with assistance of personnel on the
fire department rescue watercraft.
The total time the swimmer was in
the water is unknown.
Kroesing was not wearing a
personal
lotation device, of
icials
said. His death was being inves-
tigated as an accidental drowning,
police said.
On Sunday, a Salem man
drowned at Scotts Mills County Park
after diving from a rock near the wa-
terfall at Butte Creek, Marion Coun-
ty Sheriff’s Department reported.
Witnesses told sheriff’s depu-
ties that Nicholi W. Zahler, 26, of
Salem landed hard in the water
about 35 feet below. He pulled
himself out of the water, but ap-
peared stunned. Within seconds he
fell back into the water, and went
under. An unidentified bystander
went to his aid, but was pushed
away by the victim. The bystander
assumed he was OK and didn’t need
further help.
Some time later, the victim’s
girlfriend realized that he hadn’t
returned from the water. She ulti-
mately learned that the strong cur-
rent from the waterfall was keep-
ing him submerged. Two other
bystanders pulled him from the
river around 4:50 p.m. He was pro-
nounced dead at the scene.
Also on Sunday, a 19-year-old
Eugene-area man was missing after
swimming in the Columbia River
about a half mile west of The Dall-
es Dam Sunday evening. Rescue
efforts continued Monday morn-
ing for the victim, who, police said,
was apparently pulled downriver
by a strong current.
Public safety officials are re-
minding people that, even with
warm temperatures, rivers are still
moving very fast and are very cold.
People should use extreme caution
when entering the waterways and
have the proper equipment, includ-
ing wearing personal
floatation devices, and never enter or plan to be
in the water after dark.