Mom clinging to roots among family of six rescued from river, Oregon officials say
A mom clung to roots in an Oregon river as crews responded to the family’s distress call, officials said.
Albany Fire Department’s water rescue team rescued the family of six — two adults and four children — from the Santiam River in Jefferson just after 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27, the department said in a news release. Jefferson is about 60 miles south of Portland.
Crews first came upon a man with three children in a kayak as they searched the river, the department said.
“The family was secure but only the children were wearing their life vests,” officials said.
Farther up the river, crews found a woman trapped on a bank, according to the department.
“She was in distress, without a life vest, and clinging to vegetation roots,” the release said.
Firefighters were able to rescue the woman, secure her to the rescue water craft and deliver her to the bank, the department said.
As crews continued up the river, they found the last family member, a teen sitting on a strainer, or a large tree that only lets water through it that can “create deadly traps.” Someone had thrown a life jacket to the teen from the river bank, but swift water and thick branches complicated the rescue effort.
Crews managed to rescue the teen, but the river’s current rolled the rescue water craft, officials said. The teen and “crew made it safely to shore with no major injuries.”
The department said it is unsure about the cost of the damage to the rescue water craft that rolled and went on to urge the importance of always wearing a life vest.
Two crew members suffered minor injuries during the rescue, according to officials.
“This is a serious reminder that river conditions are dangerous for everyone,” the department said in a news release. “We need your help to keep you and us safe. Take the time to research and understand the area you plan to recreate in.”
This story was originally published July 29, 2022 at 11:23 AM with the headline "Mom clinging to roots among family of six rescued from river, Oregon officials say."
