THE DALLES, OR – A community is in mourning following the death of a three-year-old child who went missing from the Columbia River Hotel and Conference Center in The Dalles, Oregon, early Saturday morning.

The tragic incident unfolded around 9:11 a.m. on Saturday when emergency services received a call about the child’s disappearance.

Police say the child, visiting the area with family from Washington state, had somehow left their hotel room and made their way outside. Responding swiftly to the distress call, officers from The Dalles Police, Wasco County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, and Intertribal Police immediately launched a search for the missing toddler.

Family members also joined the search, and it wasn’t long before the child was found in the Columbia River near the Oregon shoreline. Despite being rushed to Adventist Health Columbia Gorge Hospital in The Dalles, life-saving efforts were unsuccessful, and the child was pronounced deceased.

The Columbia Gorge Major Crimes Team has been activated to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. The Wasco County District Attorney has been consulted as part of the ongoing death investigation.

In a statement, The Dalles Police expressed their deep sorrow over the tragedy, offering condolences to the grieving family and acknowledging the broader impact of the loss. “We want to express our profound sorrow to the family and all of those impacted by this tragedy,” the department said in a release.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident.