The Oregon State Marine Board recognized the “heroic” life-saving efforts of four Linn County Sheriff’s Office personnel who rescued two boaters on the Middle Fork of the Santiam River on Aug. 4.
Linn County senior deputy Stuart Spangler, marine safety officer Lexi Heyerly, deputy Dan Graybill and Sgt. Chris Houdek were feted, along with sheriff’s deputies, marine safety officers and private citizens from four other counties – Newberg-Dundee Police, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office – during the agency’s virtual post-season conference held Nov. 18.
According to a Marine Board release, a boat operator and his girlfriend on Aug. 4 were taking a new craft on its maiden voyage from Sunnyside Park on Foster Reservoir, up the Middle Fork Santiam River toward the base of Green Peter Reservoir dam. They did not see a brush-obscured sign warning of intermittent releases of water from the dam.
They beached the boat to swim to shore. As they decided to leave, the water began rising. Rushing water separated the couple, with the woman becoming trapped on the rocks. The boat was tied to a tree and stuck in an eddy with water rushing past.
The man called the Linn County Sheriff’s Office for help. Spangler and Heyerly arrived via patrol boat, which they maneuvered through the swift water to rescue the woman. Meanwhile, Graybill and Houdek arrived in a separate boat. Houdek threw a rescue line to the man and pulled him aboard.
The actions and teamwork of the Linn County Sheriff’s Office staff likely saved a life and led to a positive outcome, the Marine Board said in a statement.
The Life Saving Award recognizes individuals who have exhibited heroism, going above and beyond the call of duty, by directly attempting to rescue one or more persons involved in a water-related incident.
For more information about the Marine Board, visit https://boat.oregon.gov.