Albany Fire Department rescues family from Santiam River
July 28, 2022 River
A sign warning boaters of fallen trees in the Santiam River was put up by community members.
The Albany Fire Department rescued a family of six on the Santiam River on Wednesday night, July 27.
According to a news release from Albany Fire, the water rescue team responded to reports of a family “in distress” on the Santiam River in Jefferson at around 7:14 p.m. The agency sent two rescue water crafts and one ambulance with six firefighter/medics to the scene.Firefighters rescued two adults and four children. There were minor injuries to two crew members.
The agency entered the river at Interstate 5, the news release said, and searched the river east. A kayak with one man and three children was discovered. The family was secure, but only the children were wearing life vests, according to Albany Fire. Further up the river, the rescuers found a woman along a bank with a deep cut-out, where, reportedly, there was no way to escape the river. She was in distress, according to the news release, without a life vest and clinging to vegetation roots. Firefighters were able to secure the woman to the rescue water craft and delivered her
Rescuers found a teenager sitting on a strainer, which is a large tree that only lets water through it. The news release said strainers can create “deadly traps.” Large tree branches and blackberry bushes paired with swift water made the rescue more complicated, officials said.
While the crew were able to make the rescue, their water craft rolled due to the river’s current, according to the news release. There are no damage estimates at this time for the boat. Everyone made it shore without major injuries.
The agency urges community members to use this rescue as a reminder to stay safe on the rivers. “This is a serious reminder that river conditions are dangerous for everyone. Emergency responders are highly trained professionals who are prepared,” the news release said. “We need your help to keep you and us safe. Take the time to research and understand the area you plan to recreate in. And we cannot emphasize enough, adults and children should always wear their life vests.”
