Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Page A-3
Authorities warn of fast water after death on Illinois
Annette McGee Rasch
IVN Senior Contributing Writer
Hot weather drives people
to the water - but after one of the
wettest and snowiest winters in
decades, rivers throughout the
Pacific Northwest are running high
and cold, and these conditions have
contributed to several water-related
fatalities in recent weeks.
In one local incident May 18,
Tina Behneke, 20, was “knocked
off balance and swept away” while
attempting to cross the Illinois River
at Store Gulch, outside of Selma,
according to Deputy Cory Krauss
with Josephine County (JoCo)
Search and Rescue. Behneke’s two
companions had tried to save her, but
couldn’t reach her in time. Krauss
said she’d entered the river at a
spot where people normally wade
across, “but with these conditions,
the current was just too strong and
too fast.” Behneke, from Medford,
remained missing for 10 days until
found by a family friend Sunday, 100
yards downstream from McCaleb’s
Ranch.
“If you’re going to recreate
around the water, just be aware that
what you would normally anticipate
the water to be like this time of year,
it’s going to be faster and it’s going
to be colder,” Krauss said. “With
the swiftness of the water, it might
look nice and calm and inviting, but
you can’t really tell how quickly
it’s moving and you shouldn’t
underestimate the current and what it
can do to you.”
Mindful caution on the Illinois
River is warranted for at least several
more weeks. Krauss said “people
should look at the river carefully
before they choose to get in it, and
if they do get in, they should know
their limitations, wear personal
floatation devices and be aware
of their surroundings. Also, small
children do not have the knowledge
and situational awareness that adults
should have, so be extra cautious
and make sure they’re in some kind
of floatation device, and preferably
with a tether - so you have a way of
quickly retrieving them.”
Animal advocates also remind
people that puppies and young dogs
can easily get in trouble in fast water
- and that all animals rely on us for
their safekeeping.
“Throughout the region, we
have the situation right now where
all our lakes and water reservoirs
are full. So all that cold snow
melt from the mountains is going
current is very strong. Arms and legs jumping from a bridge into the
straight into the rivers,” said Sven
quickly cramp with exertion in cold
North Umpqua River; and a 16-
Nelaimischkies, meteorologist with
water, especially when the outside
year-old boy who was swept off a
National Weather Service. “This
temperatures are hot. This scenario is waterfall on the Snoqualmie River in
situation should last a few more
how many people drown.”
Washington state.
weeks at least, and then gradually
Other incidents include
decline.”
a man who went missing after
Nelaimischkies went on to
explain that “there’s all sorts of
problems with cold water. You lose
control of your extremities. With the
colder temps, the nerve impulses just
don’t flow down your arm as well,
so that can make it hard to hold onto
a log, branch or flotation device.
Also, with the flows that we’ve
had over the winter, debris could
have clumped up and can cause
entrapment situations.”
Ashley Massey, spokeswoman
for the Oregon Marine Board,
describes Pacific Northwest river
conditions as a “perfect storm” that
should have everyone on “high alert
as additional snowmelt continues to
enter the river systems.” She wants
boaters to exercise additional caution
and also said those jumping into a
swimming holes are likely to find
more treacherous conditions than
normal.
(Photo by Laura Mancuso, Illinois Valley News)
“The water temperature is
The swinging bridge near the McCaleb’s Ranch where Behneke’s
frigid — 50 degrees or below in
body was found by a family friend and recovered by JoCo Search
many areas,” Massey said. “The
and Rescue.
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