Man dies after falling in water at marina

A Vancouver man staying on a boat at the Elochoman Slough Marina died after falling in the water late at night and responders had difficulty finding because of darkness.

At 12:25 a.m. on February 23, the Wahkiakum County Sheriff’s Office received a call from someone who could hear cries for help coming from the Elochoman Slough Marina.

At 12:36 a.m., according to the report, the cries became quieter and less frequent. At 12:59 a.m., a man was found in the water and responders began cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

It was very difficult to remove the victim from the water, said Cathlamet Fire Chief Vernon Barton.

A LifeFlight helicopter crew responded, but because of the need to apply CPR continuously, the man was transferred to St. John Hospital by ambulance, where he later died of probable hypothermia due to exposure, according to Cowlitz County Coroner Tim Davidson.

Barton said 10 department members took part in the rescue, and the LifeFlight crew rode in the ambulance and took turns in applying CPR.

The deceased is Steven Bork, 68, a Vancouver resident according to his driver’s license. According to port officials, he would periodically stay on his 1977 29-foot Catalina sailboat, The Dirty Shirt, which he had moored at the marina since January, 2014.

Bork’s dog, Katie, was found freezing on the launch the next morning by marina staff, who took pains to care for her until a friend of Bork could be located. The friend has since adopted the dog.

Bork was a talented wood carver, according to one person who knew him at the marina.