On 04/07/2017 at approximately 10:00 am, Multnomah County Sheriff's Office River Patrol Deputies responded to a call from a motorist traveling on I-84 who witnessed a fishing boat overturn in the Columbia River near Multnomah Falls.
Deputies responded along with water assets from Gresham Fire and the Port of Portland. Ground units from Corbett Fire, MCSO, and AMR arrived in the area first and were able to see four adults clinging to the bottom of the overturned vessel as it floated down the river. A short time later the boat sank, and all four adults were left floating in the water.
A boat from Gresham Fire was the first water asset to arrive and pulled all four individuals from the water and transported them to awaiting medical crews on the shore.
Three of the patients were taken to local hospitals via ground ambulance with non-life threatening injuries. The fourth was taken by Lifeflight to a Portland area hospital with life threatening injuries.
Water conditions are very rough in this area, and appear to have been a contributing factor into what caused this accident.
Deputies responded along with water assets from Gresham Fire and the Port of Portland. Ground units from Corbett Fire, MCSO, and AMR arrived in the area first and were able to see four adults clinging to the bottom of the overturned vessel as it floated down the river. A short time later the boat sank, and all four adults were left floating in the water.
A boat from Gresham Fire was the first water asset to arrive and pulled all four individuals from the water and transported them to awaiting medical crews on the shore.
Three of the patients were taken to local hospitals via ground ambulance with non-life threatening injuries. The fourth was taken by Lifeflight to a Portland area hospital with life threatening injuries.
Water conditions are very rough in this area, and appear to have been a contributing factor into what caused this accident.