This is a big, wide river with fast current and lots of eddies. The victim fell in the water and sank, so a life vest was not used.
Saul Gallegos Ruiz was 27-year-old mixed
martial arts fighter from Happy Valley. Young and fit; no match for cold water
with no PFD
Frfom Brian Christopher:
Mr. Raul capsized 100 meters off
this boat ramp. Direction of the wind played a big part in how Raul overturned
his boat. There was a fetch of about 2
miles blowing north to south. This
caused some pretty big waves on a 70 degree day. Raul had his shirt off and once enough water
came over his coaming the pelican overturned. The Willamette features many
different types of paddling but this section was for the most part is rather
calm and navigable in both directions.
Pacific Northwest
Marine rescue crews call off search for missing kayaker,
presumed drowned
Posted Apr 19, 2020
By Jeff Manning | The Oregonian/OregonLive
After searching the Willamette River for 15 hours, the
Clackamas County Water Rescue Consortium called off their search for a missing
kayaker late Friday. Authorities identified the victim as Saul Gallegos Ruiz,
23, of Happy Valley.
At around 4:23 p.m., observers called 911 saying a boater
had flipped his kayak near the Elk Rock area of the river as it flows by
Milwaukie. Several onlookers tried to help. But by the time they got to him, he
was submerged. He was reportedly not wearing a life jacket.
Rescuers, including scuba divers, searched for Ruiz until
11 p.m. that night and returned to the river for another nine hours of
searching on Friday. Ruiz’ body was never found. Oregon rivers are generally
flowing fast and cold in April as the Cascade snowpack begins to melt.
Clackamas
County, OR
Divers
search for kayaker presumed drowned in Willamette River near Milwaukie
Posted Apr
16, 2020
Dive teams
search for man in Willamette River
Emergency
responders searched the Willamette River for hours Thursday after a man fell
out of his boat near Milwaukie.
By Jayati
Ramakrishnan | The Portland Oregonian/OregonLive
Clackamas
County rescue crews believe a man drowned Thursday in the Willamette River
after the kayak he was riding in overturned. Witnesses
saw the kayak flip near Spring Park in Milwaukie around 4:20 p.m., according to
the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies said people nearby tried to
help the man, but couldn’t find him after he went under water.
First
responders and divers from several agencies have spent hours searching for the
man, but so far haven’t found him, said Clackamas Fire District #1 Lt. Brandon
Paxton.
This is the
second drowning in as many days in the Portland area. One person drowned
Wednesday in the Columbia River near Hayden Island after the canoe they were
riding in flipped.
—Jayati
Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com;
MILWAUKIE, OR (KPTV) - The body of a man who drowned while
kayaking earlier this month has been recovered, according to the Clackamas
County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office said the body of Saul Gallegos
Ruiz, 27, was recovered near Elk Rock Island Monday evening.
Gallegos Ruiz was kayaking along the Willamette River on
April 16 when he fell out of the kayak and did not resurface. Rescue teams
searched for Gallegos Ruiz but were unsuccessful in locating his body.
The sheriff's office said Gallegos Ruiz's family requested
assistance from Gene and
On Monday, the Ralston's deployed a boat outfitted with
specialized equipment to aid in the search for bodies underwater. The sheriff's
office said they quickly located their first images of Gallegos Ruiz's body.
Divers went into the water at around 7 p.m. and recovered
the body at a depth of about 75 feet, according to the sheriff's office. The
sheriff's office said the Gallegos Ruiz family was aware of the search update.
At least a hundred family members and friends were at the Jefferson Boat Ramp
in Milwaukie during the recovery operation.
Positive identification of Gallegos Ruiz's body was made at
the boat ramp, according to the sheriff's office.
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