As escape plans go, this one was lacking.
Unfortunately for the 27-year-old Scotts Mills resident, he wasn’t aimed toward the landward end.
In a spectacular show of poor judgment, Erofeeff sped right off the end of the pier and into the frigid Columbia River.
Erofeeff tried to swim away, but the cold water and swift current defeated him.
He couldn’t cross the river, and he would have frozen to death if he stayed in the water, so he swam back to shore.
When he reached the pier, he couldn’t even climb back up—the pier was too tall.
The police called the Coast Guard and prepped a helicopter should it be needed.
Luckily for Erofeeff, employees from a local shipbuilding firm, WCT Marine & Construction Inc., sailed up in a small craft and pulled the hapless prowler out of the water. They might well have saved his life.
After only 20 minutes in the freezing water, the would-be escape artist had to be transported to Columbia Memorial Hospital to be treated for hypothermia.
“I’m thankful the men from WCT Marine and fishing vessel (Pacific Wind) were there and willing to help,” Astoria Deputy Police Chief Eric Halverson told The Daily Astorian. “Mr. Erofeeff should be thankful too.”
Erofeef’s truck is still at the bottom of the Columbia River. Deputy Chief Halverson said his office was in contact with the Coast Guard about retrieving the vehicle but “It’s in the river for now.”
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