Man’s body discovered in remote stretch of Columbia River south of Tri-Cities

A body was found by kayakers in a remote stretch of the Columbia River in south Benton County.

Benton County sheriff’s deputies and the coroner’s office are still trying to identify the man, Lt. Mike Clark told the Tri-City Herald on Thursday.

The kayakers discovered the body on May 24 in the river near Mound Pond in the Wallula Gap area, just north of the Oregon border, said Clark.

The pond is one of five located about 15 miles southwest of Kennewick that were created when the railroad tracks were built along the shoreline.

Mound Pond is only accessible by some trails or by the river.

It’s not clear where or when the man went into the water but he appears to have been in the water for some length of time, Clark said.

An autopsy is scheduled for Friday to determine how he died, said Benton County Coroner Bill Leach said..

Anyone who may have seen something or knows of someone who is missing is asked to call the Benton County Sheriff’s Office through the non-emergency dispatch number at 509-628-0333.

This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 1:49 PM.