Man pulled from Whatcom Creek near former Diehl Ford dealership in Bellingham
A man who was not breathing was found floating and pulled out of Whatcom Creek near the Bellingham Ford Lincoln dealership by a good Samaritan Friday morning.
Bellingham Fire Department Captain Dave Pethick said paramedics were performing CPR on the man and took him to St. Joseph hospital, but Pethick told The Bellingham Herald he was not sure of the outcome from the incident.
Bellingham police and fire were called at 7:58 a.m. Nov. 20 to the area near the former Diehl Ford on James Street for the report of a man floating in the creek. After police arrived at the location, the call was upgraded to a water rescue for fire units.
The middle-aged man was found near the James Street bridge over Whatcom Creek, Pethick said.
“It was not clear to us how he ended up in the water,” Pethick said
Police reported at 8:01 a.m. that another person was able to pull the man out of the creek, according to emergency broadcasts, but the man was not breathing and it was not known how long he had been in the water.
Bellingham fire crews had to cut back brush along the creek to get to the man and remove him from the bank.
The person who jumped in to pull the man out of the creek also was being treated for possible hypothermia from the cold water in the creek, according to emergency broadcasts. Pethick said the good Samaritan was not taken to the hospital, though.
The Herald has reached out to the Bellingham police for more information on the incident.
This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 8:31 AM.
