Water recreation renders risks
■After fallen trees are
removed from the river,
officials stress the need
for boating safety
By Andrew Adams
Oregon Daily Emerald
Members of the Lane County
Sheriff’s Office Search and Res
cue Team labored throughout the
weekend to remove several large
cottonwood trees from the
Willamette River that posed a se
rious threat to the safety of
boaters.
Law enforcement officials said
the hazard highlights the need for
boaters to follow basic safety pro
cedures to limit the risks in navi
gating Oregon’s coast and water
ways. Last year, 16 people died in
CC It's an irresponsible
parent that doesn Y have
a life jacket on their
child.
John Miller
Search and Rescue
Team coordinator jj
boating accidents, and three peo
ple have already drowned this
year.
John Miller, coordinator for the
Search and Rescue Team, said the
sheriff’s office received more than
a dozen phone calls on Friday
from boaters who had been cap
sized after running into the pile of
trees on the river. The trees had
converged to block nearly all of
the river where it merges with
Fall Creek. After the initial dis
i
covery, Miller said, it took sher
iffs personnel and a private con
tractor two days to remove the
trees.
No one was injured because of
the blockage removed this week
end, but Miller said the risks in
volved with rafting are increased
in the spring, when boaters first
start to head out to the water.
“Folks are getting out for the
first time,” he said. “They’re not
aware of the new risks.”
To avoid these risks, Miller
said, rafters should not exceed
their ability, have life jackets in
the boat and not mix alcohol and
rafting. All boaters are required to
have one life jacket per adult in
their craft, and every child 12
years-old and younger is required
to wear a life jacket. Those who
fail to follow the regulations face
a $175 fine, Miller said, but could
lose much more than that if they
don’t have life jackets during an
emergency.
“It’s an irresponsible parent
that doesn’t have a life jacket on
their child,” he said.
State Marine Board spokesman
Randy Henry said the biggest
threat to Oregon boaters is hy
pothermia. He said after people
fall in a river, they only have a
few minutes before they will suc
cumb to hypothermia. To mini
mize the risk, Henry suggested
boaters wear extra clothing, avoid
alcohol and wear a life jacket.
Henry also said people should
scout out rapids before taking
them and talk to other boaters
who have already been down the
river to get a good idea of what
they’re getting into. Those taking
a trip should also let others know
of their plans, including when
they expect to return.
Safe boating tips:
Always have a life jacket for each
person in the boat
Avoid excessive drinking
Know the area and potential haz
ards
Carry along a horn and flares
Be aware of possible weather
changes
Make sure the boat is in good con
dition
Have a fire extinguisher for motor
boats
Let others know where you are go
ingand when you will return
SOURCE: State Marine Board, Lane County
Sheriff's Office and Coast Guard
“If you’re heading out, it’s a
good idea to tell people where
you’re going and let them know
when to start to worry,” Henry
said.
Those heading out into coastal
and deep ocean waters should
make sure their boats are in good
condition and have up-to-date
weather forecasts, said Scott
Lowry, the station supervisor for
the Suislaw River Life Boat Sta
tion. He said the majority of
search and rescue missions his
crew undertake are a result of me
chanical breakdowns that leave
boaters stranded.
Boaters should always have ac
cess to weather reports, Lowry
said, because of the unpredictable
nature of weather on the coast.
“The conditions out here can
change so rapidly,” he said. “It
can be sunny when you leave,
and then an hour later there can
be a storm.”
009124
National Residence
Hall Honorary
Congratulations to this years NRHH inductees:
Dynee Putnam Josh Christiansen Greg Miller
Carmen Steuwe Jessica Lane Jennifer Brewer
Cassandra Holliday Jesse Harding Ryan Bowlby
Emily Seymore
If you know someone in the Residence Community who should be recognized
E-mail ckwalker@hotmail.com
University of Oregon Housing
e
Locally owned
DOWNTOWN
1320 Willamette
485-2356
*2975 West 11th
344-0007
*r*0PEN Sundays^.
E_ *11-4
LUBE, OIL, FILTER
• Chassis Lube • New Oil Filter • Up to 5 Qts.
10W-30 Kendall Oil • Clean Front Window
• Vaccuum Front Floor Boards
No
Appointment
necessary
Most light cars
& trucks
__ Kendall
MOTOR OIL
'*"*
3/4 or 1-ton &
Extra Cab Trucks
Additional
Summer Storage
Units start at
$2S
a month.
free
boxes
DOWNTOWN MINI-STORAGE
1475 Railroad Blvd • Chambers & River Rd • 342-5353
tww.dailyemerald.comi
Graduating? Read the Oregon Daily I
Emerald online and keep up with UO news. \
What do all of these people have in common? They all read
Check your Pulse, the Oregon Daily
Emerald's entertainment section,
every Thursday.
' ‘ IHIMW i
ASUO President Wylie Chen
Porter & Maxwell „ UO President Dave Frohnmayer „ Campus Icon "Frog"