UPDATE: Search ends for man seen jumping from Columbia River bridge

Searchers found no sign of a man who was seen jumping into the Columbia River on Tuesday afternoon.

Police and fire departments, sheriff’s offices, the U.S. Coast Guard and Columbia Basin Dive Rescue called off the three-hour search about 4 p.m. Tuesday as it was getting dark.

Pasco Fire Department reported finding no sign of the man near the Lee-Volpentest twin bridges, though three people reported seeing someone jump into the river shortly before 12:45 p.m. from the eastbound side of the Interstate 182 bridges.

“That wasn’t actually confirmed that anyone went over the edge, but just in an abundance of caution we’re out here checking,” Pasco Fire Department Public Information Officer Ben Shearer said earlier in the afternoon.

No one saw anyone in the water. Officers talked to people on the shore near the bridge, but they did not match the description of the man.

This story was originally published December 15, 2020 at 1:57 PM.