A man believed to be 33 died after driving past road-closure signs into floodwaters on Marsh Road in Snohomish County on Dec. 16. Divers recovered the occupant from a ditch filled with about six feet of water; EMS efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner will confirm the victim's identity after an autopsy. Authorities reiterated the "Turn Around, Don't Drown" warning amid wider flooding and levee breaches in the region.
Driver Who Ignored Road-Closure Signs Drowns After Car Plunges Into Six-Foot Flooded Ditch in Snohomish County
Snohomish County Sheriff's OfficeSheriff’s Office and Fire Respond to Fatal Incident After Vehicle Enters Flooded Roadway in Snohomish
A man believed to be 33 years old drowned after driving past road-closure signs and into floodwaters on Marsh Road in Snohomish County, Washington, early on Dec. 16. The vehicle plunged into a ditch filled with roughly six feet of water; divers from Snohomish Regional Fire Rescue recovered the occupant and emergency medical personnel performed CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Incident Details
Emergency crews were alerted at approximately 1:30 a.m. local time to the Marsh Road area southwest of the city of Snohomish, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said. Divers from Snohomish Regional Fire Rescue located and recovered the occupant from the submerged vehicle. The victim has not been publicly identified; the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office will confirm identity following an autopsy.
What Authorities Say
According to local reports, the driver drove around posted road-closure signs and entered a flooded roadway before the vehicle went into a ditch with about six feet of water. The man was reportedly on the phone with his wife, who called 911 after the incident. It is not yet known whether drugs or alcohol were factors; the investigation remains ongoing.
"I think people are confident that they can get through or they think it's more shallow than it is. Then they realize too late that it's too deep," said Lt. Benjamin Bloomquist of Snohomish Regional Fire Rescue, the diver who recovered the occupant. "People keep making decisions to drive through the waters. Mistakes happen. Water becomes really deep really fast."
Context And Safety Message
The incident occurred amid a larger storm system that produced damaging flooding across parts of Washington. King County emergency management ordered precautionary evacuations for about 1,300 residents in Pacific, Washington, after a levee breach along the White River.
Authorities reiterated the long-standing safety campaign: "Turn Around, Don't Drown." Drivers are urged to avoid flooded roads, heed closure signs, and never attempt to drive through moving or standing floodwater.
Sources: Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, Snohomish Regional Fire Rescue, King 5, Fox 13, CNN. The investigation is ongoing and officials will release additional details as they become available.
