BEVERLY — A riderless personal watercraft survived a trip through the Wanapum Dam fish bypass on July 2.

Its rider, Bryan Shultz of Puyallup, was knocked off by a wave and the watercraft drifted toward the mouth of the dam — too far for other watercraft to rescue, according to a Tuesday press release from the Grant County PUD.

The watercraft was then sucked into the juvenile fish bypass, a spill gate that carries young ocean-bound salmon downriver, according to the release.

About 20,000 cubic feet of water per second flows through the bypass this time of year, before plummeting 80 feet to the bottom of the dam.

Shultz’s watercraft survived the ride with minimal damage — much to his surprise.

“I’m looking at this 10-story high dam and wondering how many pieces of fiberglass I was going to find of my jet ski,” he said in the release.

With help from the dam’s crew, Shultz was able to recover the watercraft after the dam spit it out, according to the release. He rode it to a boat launch, loaded it up and went on his way.