Crews Pull Kayaker out of Willamette River 06-27-10 EUGENE, OR: Eugene and Springfield Fire Depts. pulled a kayaker out of the Willamette River late Sun. evening in an area — they say — could be more dangerous than usual this summer. Crews say the kayaker was coming down the Willamette near Interstate 5 when his inflatable boat got caught on debris, likely from the flooding a few weeks ago. The boat popped, leaving him holding onto a tree for about 10 min. until help arrived. “We got there just in the nick of time. Sometimes it’s too late. Sometimes we get there and it wouldn’t have been an emergency even an hour from now,” says Capt. Anthony Bucher with the Eugene Fire Dept. “This was one of those calls where seconds counted and we were able to get him into our boat only moments before he was about to lose his grip and go under the log.” Rescuers say because of the bridge construction near I-5, there will be more support structures in the river. That could trap more debris. They warn boaters to use extra caution in the area throughout the summer. http://kezi.com/news/local/179303