Man drowns after car is swept away by floodwaters in Oregon

The victim was identified as a 52-year-old man from Amity, Oregon.

YAMHILL COUNTY, Ore. – A man lost his life on Friday after drowning in floodwaters in Yamhill County, Oregon.

A 911 call was received by Yamhill Communications around 7:40am local time on Wednesday, Dec. 19, regarding a vehicle that drove past road closure signs around a flooded area. The driver drove into high water covering a roadway.

The Pacific Northwest has been battling floodwaters over the last two weeks, after an atmospheric river slammed into the region, bringing heavy rain and dangerous conditions.

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According to the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office, the caller saw the vehicle get swept away by the current and off the road into a large flooded area on the south side of the South Yamhill River. A witness observed an occupant of the vehicle get out of the car and into the water.

Deputies from the sheriff's office and the Polk County Sheriff's Office Oregon responded to the call, with support from the Dallas Oregon Police Department and the Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department. The Sheridan Rural Fire Protection District requested assistance from the Salem Fire Department with a water rescue team.

The Dallas Oregon Police Department deployed drones over the area where a body was discovered in the water.

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PACIFIC, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 16: In an aerial view, a neighborhood is engulfed in floodwater on December 16, 2025 in Pacific, Washington. Evacuations have been ordered in 3 suburbs south of Seattle after recent levee failure. Atmospheric rivers are expected to continue in the coming days as northern Washington continues reeling back from historic flooding late last week. Mass flooding along the Pacific Northwest caused historic flooding, tens of thousands of evacuations, and dozens of Coast Guard rescues.   ((Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images))

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Snoqualmie River flooding in Duvall, Washington in King County. (Eastside Fire & Rescue/Facebook)

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Mobile home park floods near Puyallup River. (KCPQ)

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Mobile home park floods near Puyallup River. (KCPQ)

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Pickup truck drives through flooded road in King County. Emergency officials warn people not to drive through flooded roads. (KCPQ)

With the help of a local resident with water rescue experience, the Salem Fire Department deployed with an inflatable boat and recovered the victim.

The victim was later identified as a 52-year-old man from Amity, Oregon.

The Yamhill Country Sheriff's Office says, "Many areas in Yamhill County continue to be affected by high water and flooding. We are asking individuals to never drive into high water, and to obey all signage and traffic control devices related to flood affected areas."