Vigil planned for man missing on Columbia River

Although Lafollette most recently lived in Rufus, working as a mechanic near Roosevelt, Becky said he spent much of his life in The Dalles and Dufur areas, so she wanted the vigil held in Wasco County.

Interested community members are invited to join her at dusk tonight at the dock off Union Street.

Lafollette is believed to have gone fishing with a younger man late Oct. 24 from the Roosevelt shoreline.

“He was in an 8-foot boat and inexperienced,” said Becky.

She said Tony was wearing insulated black overalls to keep warm while out on the river. When the boat had travelled about 10 miles downriver, Becky said it capsized and the younger man tried twice to help Tony, who was struggling due to health problems and heavy clothing, before having to swim to shore to save himself.

She said the survivor then ran five miles in his bare feet to reach the orchard community of Sundale, about five miles from Roosevelt, and call 9-1-1 for help.

The Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office took the lead on the search, said Becky, but were unable to locate Tony’s body.

Several other agencies lent assistance and the search along the Washington side of the Columbia continued for several days with no success.

“I want fishermen to know that he is out there,” she said.

The couple’s adult daughter had a vision a couple days ago of her father trapped under logs in the water at the crook of the river.

“He said they (searchers) were overlooking a piece of his clothing and, if they found that, they would find him a short distance away,” she said.

“He needs to be found, everybody needs some closure,” she added.