Staying Safe on the Sandy River

The Sandy River is a hotspot for people wanting to escape the upcoming summer heat. With freezing-cold water from the high glaciers on Mount Hood, it seems like the perfect getaway. But don’t let the look of the river fool you, because it can be deadly.

On May 16, the Corbett Fire District, along with the Gresham Fire Department and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, teamed up to showcase some of the lifesaving equipment they have and warn people about the dangers of swimming or playing in the Sandy River.

The number one way to prevent drownings is life jackets,” John Plock, a Multnomah County Sheriff’s Deputy, told The Advocate.

Photos by Kaden Reams

From 2019 to 2022, nine people lost their lives due to drowning in the Sandy River. Because of this, the Corbett Fire District started a program to loan out life jackets at multiple parks along the most popular stretches of the Sandy. These include the Lewis and Clark and Dabney State Recreation Areas (parks). You can find these life jacket loaner stations close to the water. If you do use a life jacket, please return it so the next person who needs one can borrow it.

The Corbett Fire Department has put much effort into being ahead of the curve when it comes to lifesaving technology. A little over a year ago, it purchased a drone with many features, including a 30x optical zoom sensor, thermal imaging sensor, and a lidar sensor (used for high-resolution imaging).

The drone can be used for typical fires, looking at the structural integrity of a threatened roof, for examples, but also for water rescues. During the May 16, personnel showcased the device’s ability to locate and airdrop a life jacket to someone in the water. When seconds count during an emergency, it is important to have something you can launch immediately that helps get eyes on the situation.

Corbett Fire personnel also showcased an AquaEye, a portable. underwater sonar used by first responders for search and rescue and recovery missions.

All this equipment, along with common sense of people recreating along it, can help lessen the dangers of the Sandy, which carries dangerously cold water well into the summer and currents that can fool swimmers, “tubers” and rafters.“This river is very dynamic. From winter to summer, it changes quite a bit,” Gresham Fire Department Captain Travis Soles told The Advocate, praising the multi-agency coordination on display. “This river is so dynamic that one agency can’t do this by itself. It would be overwhelming.”

Each rescue/recovery call takes a tremendous amount of resources and collaboration between multiple agencies. Each agency plays a vital role in providing water rescue on the Sandy River. Whether it be the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office’s Dive Team, AMR lifeguards stationed at Glenn Otto Park, Gresham Fire’s water rescue crafts, or Corbett Fire’s drone and AquaEye – all provide critical help so the Sandy can serve as a safe playground for visitors.

“We just want people to continue having a great time on the river, putting those life jackets on, and going home safely with their families,” said Jasmine Zimmer-Stucky of the Corbett Fire Department.

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