Sean C. Morgan
Lebanon Fire Department and rescue workers from around Linn County, including Sweet Home, rescued a man and his young son from a rock just above the Waterloo falls Friday evening.
The two were among four people floating the South Santiam River, said Linn County Sheriff’s Sgt. Forest Burkes. They had intended to raft to the Waterloo boat ramp, failed to see the falls, and were caught in the rapids.
One, Chase West, 12, went over the falls safely on an inner tube.
The remaining three, Billy MacFarland, 39; Jacob MacFarland, 10; and Jaxson West, 10; became trapped on a rock just above the falls. Billy MacFarland held the two juveniles in position, Jaxson on an innertube and Jacob on a rock.
After rescuers arrived, MacFarland couldn’t hold Jaxson any longer, and the boy slipped over the falls unharmed, said Sheriff’s Deputy John Lovik.
The important thing was to get life vests onto MacFarland and his son, Lovik said. Once that was done, rescuers used ropes to pull Jacob out of the water.
Getting Jacob out safely was the first priority because he is so small, Lovik said. He needed a vest so he could come back up if he came off the rock, and the vest also helped him when he crossed the river using ropes.
After Jacob was safely ashore, a Lebanon Fire Department swimmer went out to MacFarland, wearing a life vest and helmet, and the two dropped feet-first over the falls, Lovik said. They were picked up by a Sheriff’s Office boat below the falls.
The children were fine following the incident, Lovik said. MacFarland suffered minor hypothermia from being in the water. None were hospitalized.
When floating a river, people “need to be aware of where they’re going and what’s ahead of them,” Burkes said. If they haven’t checked ahead, they should be checking with other people to find out what’s ahead.
“Water is dangerous any time of year,” Burkes said. The particular section of the river that the four were in narrows down, and the water moves through it pretty fast.
The bad news in the incident was that the group did not scout the river ahead, Lovik said. That’s what often has happened when rescuers respond to the Waterloo falls. People see the dam and don’t realize there are falls.
“The good news was he had the fortitude to hold on,” Lovik said. “His fortitude was fantastic. It’s not easy to do. It saps your strength. The water will take it out of you.”
That’s what happened when Jaxson went over the falls, Lovik said.
Lovik praised the performance of the volunteers who responded to the rescue. They have responded to the area often enough to know the area well.
The falls are located just southeast of the bridge crossing the South Santiam River at the northwest end of Waterloo Park.
MacFarland showed a McMinnville address, Burkes said, and the West children’s father, Michael West, shows an address in Independence.
Lebanon Fire Department responded to the call at 5:53 p.m. with seven pieces of apparatus and 14 personnel. Lebanon received assistance from fire departments in Sweet Home, Scio and Albany and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
Waterloo Bridge was closed during the rescue operation.