7 people nearly drown after traveling over a low head dam on Willamette River
Haleigh Kochanski
Eugene Register-Guard
May 20, 2024
Seven people nearly drowned on the Willamette River in Glenwood Saturday afternoon after going over a low head dam.
The Eugene Springfield Fire Department says crews were alerted to the water rescue call at 3:19 p.m. and arrived five minutes later to guide water rescue boats.
Once on scene, fire crews learned that seven "college-aged men" were floating down the river in non-rated flotation devices without wearing life jackets.
After passing over the low head dam, some of the men were forced under water due to currents and obstacles called strainers. Most were washed downstream from the dam while one escaped the churning current by grabbing a branch to pull himself up a concrete wall, according to the Eugene Springfield Fire Department.
"The low head dam is a dangerous obstacle in the waterway on a good day," Eugene Springfield Fire Chief Mike Caven said. "With cold water, changing flows and debris caught on the dam, it is much more dangerous."
