FERNDALE, Wash. — Several Whatcom County first responder agencies, including Whatcom County Search and Rescue gathered on the western shore of the Nooksack River in Ferndale this morning May 18th to recover a submerged vehicle.
Ferndale Police Chief Kevin Turner said they received a report around 7:30pm the night prior that a passerby who noticed tire marks leading from Ferndale Road over the berm and into the river. The marks appear to be made by a vehicle heading east on Cherry Street that failed to navigate the right turn onto Ferndale Road heading south.
Police officers responded and could see the river water swirling over a submerged large object. Other agencies were contacted and it was determined the swift current would delay sending in divers until daylight according to Turner.
Crews assembled this morning and equipment brought in to accomplish the recovery. This was the reason for closing Ferndale Road as previously reported.
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Divers with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol’s BORSTAR underwater search-and-recovery dive team along with Whatcom County Search and Rescue were able to secure a line from a Heston Hauling 40-ton Kenworth hauler to the vehicle so that it could be pulled from the river.
The vehicle, of undisclosed make and model, was pulled out just before noon. FPD Lieutenant Matt Huffman told Whatcom News they found 2 bodies in the vehicle. The Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine cause of death.
Huffman said it appeared the vehicle was driven over the berm based on the tire marks.
City of Ferndale Communications Officer Riley Sweeney said in an email later,
At this time, there is no indication that this was anything other than a traffic incident, although the Washington State Patrol will be doing a full investigation. The occupants of the vehicle had no obvious signs of trauma and appeared to have drowned. The occupants were two adult males.Riley Sweeney, City of Ferndale communications officer (May 18, 2021).
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