UPDATE: Man lost in the dark in Columbia River rainstorm rescued from Bateman Island

Emergency crews needed to rescue a man after he was stuck in the mud on Bateman Island Thursday night.

The man reportedly became lost during a walk on the island near the north end of Columbia Center Boulevard in Richland. He apparently got too close to the shore and sank into the mud, Acting Richland Batallion Chief Raul Marroquin told the Tri-City Herald.

Richland police officers near the island heard someone shouting in that area about 5:25 p.m. While they were able to find him, they couldn’t reach him to pull him out.

Richland firefighters and Columbia Basin Dive Rescue members were called to free the man, who was waist deep, Marroquin said.

Crews used chainsaws to cut a path through the brush and trees to haul the man on a litter to an ambulance.

A woman who identified herself as his daughter told the Herald by email on Friday that he was checked at Kadlec Regional Medical Center, released and doing fine.

A manmade causeway leads to the island at the confluence of the Yakima and Columbia rivers. The island is popular for fishing, walking and biking.

Work is scheduled to begin next week to tear out the causeway, built in the 1940s, because it restricts the flow of water, causes water temperatures to rise in summer and degrades the river’s water habitat for salmon.

This story was originally published December 18, 2025 at 9:51 PM.