Team rescues two groups stranded on Deschutes River in Tumwater Friday evening
A sunny Friday brought two water rescues on the Deschutes River in Tumwater, prompting the Fire Department to urge caution as temperatures and outdoor activity rise.
Within about two hours Friday, the regional Thurston County Special Operations Rescue Team (SORT) responded to people stranded in two locations along the river, Tumwater spokesperson Ann Cook told The Olympian. Responders included units from McLane Black Lake Fire Department, Lacey Fire District 3, and Olympia Fire Department, with Tumwater Fire Department leading the effort.
The rescue team responded to the first call just after 5:30 p.m., when three adults were stranded on a sand bar with inner tubes and no life jackets, Cook said. They were able to access the river near Riverview Drive Southeast and 80th Avenue Southeast, walk out and give the group life jackets so they could float back to the river’s bank.
Just before 8 p.m., another call came in about two adults and two children stranded — again, with inner tubes but no life jackets — on a log jam near Pioneer Park. The group was starting to feel the effects of the cold water, Cook said.
The water was over the heads of the rescue team members, according to Cook, so responders used a rope line to distribute life jackets and float the group back to safety.
No injuries were reported by responders or anyone who was rescued, which Cook deemed “very fortunate.”
She relayed a message from Tumwater Fire Department and Assistant Chief Brian Hurley, who wanted to remind people of some basic precautions as the weather warms: Wear life jackets when recreating on or near water, remember the water is still cold, even on a warm day, and be safe, particularly with kids on the water.
This story was originally published June 21, 2020 at 5:45 AM.
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