Richland memorial honors hydroplane driver killed in boat flip

A cross placed this week in Howard Amon park in Richland memorializes a boat racing driver who died after a nearby crash on the Columbia River.

Matt Mattson, the driver of the ‘Good Vibrations’ SE-400, died Friday, June 25, after being thrown from his boat when it flipped during the first day of racing at the 2021 Richland Regatta.

Danielle Schuster didn’t know Mattson, who lived in Poulsbo, but made the memorial because she felt he should be honored in some way.

Schuster had gone to the park to watch the racing but didn’t learn until later that weekend what happened.

“I really wanted to do something for him,” she said. “I wanted his family to know that he was remembered and it impacted our community.”

Schuster said she hopes a more permanent marker can be placed at the park, and she wants to help his family through a GoFundMe fundraising effort in the coming weeks.

This story was originally published June 30, 2021 at 12:08 PM.