Water rescues on the rise
The McKenzie and Willamette rivers are always bursting with activity in the summertime: fishermen along the banks or making their way in a boat, people floating down the river in all sorts of watercraft, children splashing in the shallows.
But a fun day on the water can turn disastrous — and quick. Just ask local emergency responders, whose call logs outline a hard truth: Water rescue calls this summer have already outpaced numbers from last year.
Last summer, 44 water rescues were reported in the Springfield-Eugene area: 10 in June, 18 in July, and 16 in August.
So far this year, 23 rescues have taken place, including 13 in June and 11 in July — three of them occurring around the same time on July 4.
Eugene Springfield Fire complete a water rescue on the Willamette River in Glenwood on July 6t. Water rescue crews were dispatched to the low head dam for two individuals on a strainer below the dam.
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Water Search and Rescue Unit is ultimately responsible for all water rescues county-wide.
With Lane County being the third largest county in the state — stretching 4,722 square miles — it can take a significant amount of time for LSCO responders to make it to a call.
To make up for long response times, LCSO partners with Eugene Springfield Fire (ESF), who are able to respond to water rescue calls in the Springfield-Eugene area much faster.
Riley Martinka has been the battalion chief of ESF Station 3 since 2023, and has encountered myriad situations along the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, among the more common areas for rescue as seen in call logs.
He said a typical water rescue response from ESF includes two boats, a medic unit, up to two battalion chiefs, and two engine companies — one for each side of the river — adding up to roughly 15 personnel.
This initial response, however, is often tailored to meet the needs of individual incidents.
Eugene Springfield Fire first responders are dispatched to a water rescue on the McKenzie River between Hayden Bridge and Harvest Landing in Springfield on June 29, after a woman was unconscious and floating in the river after falling out of her raft. Crews successfully resuscitated the patient and she was transported in life threating condition to RiverBend hospital.
Call situations can vary, with the most common ones being boaters missing their landing docks or getting lost, and people encountering river obstructions and becoming stranded or injured, he said. Other common situations include popped pool inflatables or people who have been sucked into strainers and other debris by the current.
“If a tree falls in the water, it would go to the least resistance, and the deepest water is going to carry it to a spot. That’s what it’s going to do with your boat also,” Martinka said.
Randy Huntoon, LCSO deckhand, said some commonly dangerous areas include the stretch behind the Riverbend Hospital, the rapids just above Hayden Bridge, and the rapids by Owasso Bike Bridge. It’s always important to stay vigilant on either river, but especially so in these areas.
One of the best ways to stay safe on the river is by being proactive. Making an effort to learn about the hazards on the stretch intended for a visit before getting in the water can help people keep from getting stuck. Several boat landings have QR codes citing immediate dangers and obstructions, and more information on reported hazards can be found on the Boating Obstruction Dashboard on the Oregon State Marine Board website.
Pool inflatables provide another risk, according to Jason Bowman, Swift Water Rescue technician and Search and Rescue program supervisor.
“Most common calls are usually related to people floating on the river in inner tubes or other inflatable pool toys,” Bowman said, adding that people may bump into trees that have fallen in the river, causing the inflatables to pop.
Community members play waterside near Mount Pisgah on Tuesday, July 16. Emergency personnel continue to encourage residents to enjoy the natural beauty around us — but be safe and vigilant.
He advises that people avoid tying multiple tubes together, because if a pool inflatable pops while it’s tied to something, it’s easy to get tangled up in the rope. If that happens, Bowman said, it often lands people in dangerous situations.
Bowman also stresses the importance of wearing a lifejacket.
“It’s not good enough just to have it, you have to actually wear it. It’s like the seatbelt in your car. You can’t plan to put the seatbelt on during the crash; the crash just happens so fast,” he said.
Some other safety tips involve staying vigilant and sober.
Looking ahead can offer the time needed to maneuver around obstacles, Martinka said. Bowman added that the use of alcohol or other intoxicants cloud judgment and make awareness more difficult to maintain.
“We have awesome river stretches around here, and two awesome rivers that go right through town. So we want people out there enjoying it, using them, and stuff like that. We just want everyone to be safe,” Martinka said.
