Raft and canoe incidents lead to water rescues on Willamette, McKenzie rivers in Eugene

Two people were rescued and a woman was resuscitated Saturday after water rescues on the Willamette and McKenzie rivers near Eugene.

Woman resuscitated after falling out of raft on McKenzie River

The first incident took place at 2:01 p.m. when rescue crews were dispatched to the McKenzie River between Hayden Bridge and Harvest Landing in Springfield.

Callers reported an unconscious female floating in the river after falling out of her raft, according to Eugene-Springfield Fire Department.

A rescue boat “happened to be training in the vicinity call and was quick to arrive,” a news release said. “Bystanders had gotten the female to the shore and initiated CPR. (The rescue boat) quickly loaded the patient on their boat and continued CPR to the nearest boat launch where Engine Fire Department Engine 14 was waiting to begin advanced life support.”

Crews successfully resuscitated the woman and she was taken in life threatening condition to RiverBend hospital, the news release said.

Canoe overturns in Willamette River

Later in the same day, one person was transported to a local hospital after a canoe capsized on the Willamette River, according to Eugene-Springfield Fire Department.

At 5:11 a call was reported for a water rescue near Knickerbocker bike bridge. Bystanders reported seeing a canoe capsize with two boaters on board, the news release said.

“One boater was wearing a life jacket and was able to make it ashore while the other boater was rescued by a nearby drift boat,” officials said. “The second individual was treated by paramedics and transported to a local hospital for evaluation.”

Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 16 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Urness is the author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: 2 rescued on Willamette and McKenzie rivers near Eugene