Body Of Boy Recovered From River

RANDLE, Lewis County - Searchers say a body recovered from under a logjam in the Cispus River about 15 miles south of here is that of a 13-year-old Tacoma boy.

A Skamania County deputy identified the body as that of Eric Schatz, who fell into the river more than three weeks ago, but medical investigators have not confirmed the identity.

A neighbor who was helping to search the riverbanks found the body about 5:50 p.m. yesterday. On Aug. 5, Schatz fell off a cliff near a waterfall on the river while on a camping trip, ending up on a ledge in waist-high water.

The family he was camping with threw him a rope, but he couldn't hang onto it. After about 45 minutes, the river swept him down the falls, the boy's father, Mike Schatz, said.

Rescue crews from Thurston, Lewis and Skamania county sheriff's departments, in addition to National Guard members, helped to look for the boy's body in the past three weeks. The family returned to the site each weekend.