Crews from Eugene Springfield Fire's Gateway Station rescued a person from a log in the middle of the McKenzie River after a tubing incident on May 29, 2021.
Eugene Springfield Fire
Eugene Springfield Fire water rescue crews were called to the McKenzie River in Springfield Saturday after receiving reports of three people trapped on a log in the middle of the river behind RiverBend Hospital.
Crews arrived to find one person still needing help after a tubing incident and used a boat to bring them to shore.
With warmer temperatures hitting the area this week, more people are expected to recreate near water. Eugene Springfield Fire urges citizens to take extra precautions when floating the river this year as debris from the Holiday Farm Fire has increased the number of river hazards.
Officials say trees and branches can deadly when combined with hydraulic forces in a flowing river. They recommend all water users wear life vests, don’t float on uncertified floatation devices and don’t float in unfamiliar waterways.
Last December, a teenage girl and her father drowned in the Willamette River after their paddleboards became entangled in a downed tree. The two were wearing life vests.
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