Water Rescue on the Rogue River
Two members of Salem Fire’s Water Rescue Team (WRT)—Captain Josh Hiskey and Engineer Kyle Brown—recently completed a five-day Drift Boat Course on the Rogue River from June 9–13, hosted by the Oregon State Marine Board.
The course sharpened their skills in navigating swift water using our 14’ raft. It included hands-on training in knot tying, hydrodynamics, reading river conditions, rescue swimming, recovering sunken boats, and more.
But the training turned real on Thursday, June 12, when Josh, Kyle, and their instructor, Captain Nick Fitzpatrick (Jackson County Fire District 4), rescued four people after a raft deflated on sharp rocks just before entering rapids. One person was pulled from the water during the rapids, and the other three were assisted from shore. None were wearing life jackets—a sobering reminder of how quickly things can turn dangerous on the water.
Thanks to their quick actions and this vital training, a potential tragedy was avoided. Salem Fire remains committed to building our water rescue capabilities to protect the community and the region.
Stay safe out there—and wear your life jackets!
Comments
Post a Comment