(Courtesy of Marion County Sheriff’s Office)
First responders in Marion and Linn counties rescued a woman stuck in a Santiam River current Thursday afternoon.
Workers at a Knife River facility called 911 at 1:30 p.m. after they heard a woman calling for help who was trapped in a current near the 1st Street Bridge in Stayton, according to a news release from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
First responders found the woman, 32, clinging to brush in the water and unable to get to shore safely as the workers tried throwing her a flotation device from the bridge.
Sheriff’s deputies threw a rescue line to her from the bridge, using it to get a personal flotation device to her. “The Jefferson Fire District put a boat out onto the water and had a swimmer help the woman to safety,” the news release said.
The woman had been living in a camp near the river and tried to leave due to rising water levels but got became stuck in the current, according to the news release. She was taken to a local hospital for an evaluation.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office didn’t identify the woman in the news release.
“We were fortunate the workers from Knife River heard the victim calling out for help. Their efforts to find the woman and to quickly call 911 definitely made a difference today,” Marion County Undersheriff Jeff Wood said in the news release.
Other responding agencies included the Stayton Fire District, Stayton Police Department, Salem Fire Department, Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Albany Fire Department, Willamette Valley Communications Center and METCOM 911.
Deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol coordinated with local agencies to have resources for water rescue available for such an incident ahead of heavy rain forecasts. A flood watch for the region is in effect through Friday night, the National Weather Service in Portland said.
“The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank our partner agencies for their preparation efforts and swift response,” the news release said.
(Courtesy of Marion County Sheriff’s Office)
(Courtesy of Marion County Sheriff’s Office)
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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