Lebanon Fire District responded to a call on the evening of Sept. 9 for a water rescue after three “tubers” were stranded during a run down the Santiam River.
Upon arrival, the battalion chief found a male stranded across the river without a life jacket. He didn’t require medical attention, but needed assistance getting back. Two female floaters were downstream, believed to be stuck in the river brush.
A drone was launched from the command post to help locate the women and the incident commander instructed the crew to launch a raft to assist them. The drone showed that the tubers were about half a mile downstream where they were making their way through the brush to the trail. LFD found the women and guided them back to the trail safely, with no medical needs reported.
Meanwhile, the LFD raft, equipped with a spare life vest, brought the male tuber safely across the river.
LFD provides loaner life jackets from kiosks at Gill’s Landing and Waterloo Park, but staff reported as many as 70 of the jackets have not been returned.