Boat drifts away on Oregon river and traps anglers in cold until 1 a.m., officials say
A pair of anglers got stranded for nearly 12 hours in below-freezing temperatures on an Oregon river, officials said.
They had stopped to fish at the last island before a boat ramp in the Trout Creek Campground around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 16, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release on Facebook.
The boat anchor got free, and the boat started drifting down the Deschutes River without the anglers. One of them was able to get back into the boat but was unable to get it back to the island, the post said.
By that point it had gotten dark, and temperatures were already below freezing, officials said.
One of the anglers was able to call for help, but even rescuers had a hard time accessing the area because no jet boats were available, the release said.
Deputies and search and rescue members tried going upstream in a drift boat that was powered by an outboard motor. But the motor became disabled, officials said.
The deputies and search and rescue members put the drift boat in at Mecca Flat and navigated to the “extremely cold and thankful” angler using flashlights and headlamps, officials said.
The man on the island was also rescued.
“The mission lasted until 1 a.m.,” officials said in the release.
Officials reminded people to “be extra careful” while recreating in Jefferson County.
“Carry on your person things you would need to survive a night in the cold,” officials said. “Resources are very limited,” and they’re always looking for volunteers to join the search and rescue team, they said.
The owner of the fly fishing shop inside the campground offered to help in the future.
“Glad everyone was okay. Tying a bow line along with dropping anchor is a good habit to get into on the river,” Vail Borne wrote. “We have guides on that stretch almost daily during the season and lots of familiarity. Would love to help if we could.”
A man who identified himself as one of the stranded anglers commented on the post and said he wanted to thank the officials who rescued him by trying to get more governmental support for their rescue efforts.
“A very important note is that the officers had to use their own boat to rescue us,” Carl Natalizia wrote. “I was amazed to the extent that these great officers went above and beyond out of a sense of duty.”
Natalizia wrote that he wanted to see if local government officials would be able to secure more support for “these brave and caring people.”
“The three officers, Fish and Game, Forestry, and all involved were fantastic,” he wrote. “I am determined to turn this unfortunate and embarrassing (and potentially deadly) situation into something positive.”
This story was originally published November 18, 2022 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Boat drifts away on Oregon river and traps anglers in cold until 1 a.m., officials say."
