Water rescue underway for missing person at Green River Gorge

BLACK DIAMOND, Wash. - A young man has gone missing on the Green River Gorge.

According to a spokesperson for the King County Sheriff's Office, a water rescue team is attempting to find a 20-year-old who went underwater near the Black Diamond area. King County's Guardian One is assisting search and rescue operations with aerial support.

It's unknown what led up to the man's disappearance, but we're told another man was swimming with him when he went missing.

Puget Sound Fire agencies including Valley Regional Fire Authority, Mountainview, Renton and Enumclaw fire departments are taking part in the rescue work along with the King County Sheriff's Office.

A heat wave is driving more people towards water this weekend, but first responders warn that snow pack melt fuels local rivers – meaning water can be ice-cold, even deadly at times.

Warm air temperatures make rivers and lakes a big attraction, but there are no lifeguards on duty.

Washington state averages around 100 deaths a year from drownings, nearly all of them from cold water. According to the Washington Department of Health, drownings along with fire/burns are the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children and teens in Washington.

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Experts recommend wading into water instead of jumping in to reduce threats of cold water shock. Wearing life jacker while in and around bodies of water is an easy way to stay safe – in addition to avoiding going in at all.

You can learn more about cold water safety on King County website here.