EUGENE – On July 3, around 6:30 p.m., Eugene Springfield Fire responded to a swimmer in distress call on the Willamette River downstream from the Knickerbocker Bridge.
The caller reported that someone had lost their floaties and was floating downstream in the stream, struggling to keep their head above water.
Emergency personnel found an unhoused person performing CPR for the victim on a shallow gravel bar in the middle of the river.
Firefighters took over and worked the resuscitation on the boat while transporting to the launch where Medic 1 was waiting. They were transported to RiverBend in critical condition after being submerged for about 10 minutes, police said.
The man who performed CRP could not be located after the rescue. Emergency personnel said they want to recognize this person’s efforts. Contact them at 541-682-7100.
On July 5, around 6 p.m., ESF crews responded to a five-person rescue call just above Bellinger boat landing on the McKenzie.
There were three people in a drift boat that got swamped and two bystanders who tried to help and ended up getting in trouble.
Emergency personnel jumped in to rescue one off a strainer that had someone’s arm stuck, with their head barely above the water, face down, and water running over their head.
All were rescued, and no injuries were reported.
ESF staff said they frequently respond to water rescues in the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, where people are floating these swift water rivers on inappropriate flotation devices without wearing a life vest. If you have an inexpensive tube or raft at a local box or convenience store, it is not designed for anything but a pool. Not only do these choices put your life at risk, but they also deplete several fire crews at the same time of day when the fire risk is highest, they said.
