Roseburg teen drowns in Umpqua River during family floating trip
July 6, 2021
Oregon News Oregonian/OregonLive
By Catalina Gaitán | The Oregonian/OregonLive
A 15-year-old Roseburg girl drowned Sunday night in the Umpqua River, officials said. Deputies responded about 6:30 p.m. to reports of a water rescue near the Yellow Creek Boat Ramp in Oakland. They found Aliya Grizzard dead after going underwater in rapids, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.
Grizzard was on an inflatable air mattress paddling down the river with her family when she was swept through a rapid. Grizzard, who was not wearing a life jacket, went under the water and drowned, officials said. A bystander spotted Grizzard in the water and brought her to shore, where they attempted to resuscitate her but were unsuccessful, officials said.
A friend of the Grizzard family created a GoFundMe fundraiser Monday to help cover the family’s expenses. As of Tuesday morning, the fundraiser had surpassed its $5,000 goal. “Aliya was a beautiful, smart, and loving 15 year old girl who will be desperately missed by her family and friends,” wrote Jennie Bryan-Giuliany, the fundraiser’s organizer.
-- Catalina Gaitan; @catalinagaitan_
From Brad Bassi via FB:
Hi Charlie. This is a lower section of the Umpqua River. Many miles of flat water with current that drops to 1,500 cfs or less in the summer. A very few random class II ledges (maybe 3 ledges in 30 miles)that can channelized and get steeper as flows drop. Sad story. Well upstream of here is the North Umpqua with many miles of fun class III-IV whitewater, but this accident was nowhere near that section of river.
