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- Mark Swigart
drowns in Yakima
- DONALD (Friday, 7-23-99)---Mark Swigart, 40,
Sunnyside's premiere sign painter, died at about
4:20 p.m. today in a boating accident, according to
sheriff's deputies.
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- Reports said Mark and two male friends put a
12-foot aluminum boat in the Yakima River near the
Donald-Wapato bridge, then pushed off shore.
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- Minutes later, the boat hit a snag and
overturned, deputies said. Mark, who was not a
swimmer, held onto a snag as his friends swam to
shore for assistance.
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- "The next thing they knew, Mark was floating
down the river trying to swim, but went under the
water," deputies said.
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- Mark's two friends reportedly swam back and
were able to pull him from the river. Once they had
Mark on shore, they tried to revive him using
CPR.
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- One of them flagged down a passing motorist,
who happened to be a doctor. The doctor went down
to the river to assist in performing CPR while his
wife called 911.
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- Fire, ambulance and YSO agencies arrived,
then Mark was transported to Providence Hospital,
Yakima, where he was pronounced dead. The Sheriff's
Dept. is investigating the incident, according to
Sgt. Ed Campbell.
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- Mark Swigart owned On the Mark
Graphics at 2100 Sunnyside-Mabton Rd.
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