Guide’s Body Recovered From Columbia Gorge

The body of fishing guide Michael Shufeldt was found yesterday morning in the Columbia Gorge 1.75 miles downstream from where he and his boat went down last Wednesday after taking a large wave over the stern.

The 26-year-old was running a trip with six others off the mouth of the White Salmon River when conditions rapidly deteriorated as the winds came up. The passengers were all rescued and the boat has since been recovered.

The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office reports Shufeldt’s body was spotted in shallow water by the Washington shore by an airplane pilot who was part of the recovery mission.

“While all of us at the Sheriff’s Office are saddened by the loss of life, we are hopeful that the recovery of Michael’s body will provide some relief and closure to his family,” HRCSO stated on Facebook.

Shufeldt leaves behind a wife and two young children. An online fundraiser has yielded more than $189,000 for his family.

“Michael, of Reel Deal Fishing Adventures, will always be remembered as an amazing husband, father, and person. The PNW fishing community will forever remember him as an amazing angler & friend,” wrote fundraiser organizer Marlin LeFever of Addicted Fishing.

HRCSO deputies thanked the three pilots who assisted in the search, as well as partner agencies such as the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office and Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission that also helped. They advised recreationists to be mindful of the weather and to wear PFDs while on the water.