By Jason Chaney
Central Oregonian
First responders prepared for the worst.
Kaitlyn Watts of Sweet Home had crashed her vehicle while driving on Highway 20 east of Sweet Home and plunged into the Santiam River. The water was swift, rising and Watts was trapped in the driver seat.
“As command, that was one of the longest drives I ever made,” recalls Christian Whitfield, division chief with Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District (SHFAD).
“Hearing that information and knowing we were most likely going to a recovery, we fully expected to have somebody deceased underwater.”
According to a report in The New Era newspaper, on the morning of March 22, Watts was driving eastbound when her pickup plummeted off the pavement and approximately 30 feet down the riverbank.
The truck hit a tree and landed on its wheels roughly 6 feet from the riverbank, with chest-high water rushing into the vehicle. The vehicle sustained heavy damage to the passenger compartment and was in an unstable position. Early reports indicated Watts was pinned in the vehicle with water at head level.
A Sweet Home resident who was driving by with his wife arrived at the scene seconds after the crash. A nurse also stopped, right after they did. First responders were told to tie off the vehicle, which they did. But after that they had to wait until help arrived.
It came much sooner than expected and from an unlikely and highly fortunate source. Two Prineville firefighters, off duty, on a road trip with their families, suddenly arrived on scene. Russ Deboodt, division chief with Crook County Fire and Rescue and Rylee Wood, a fire operations specialist with Ochoco National Forest quickly jumped into action. They freed Watts from the vehicle and ultimately got her safely to shore.
By the time Whitfield had arrived, he had heard reports that a medic was on scene. It gave him a glimpse of hope. Maybe this wouldn’t be a recovery.
“Then we show up and they have done all the work for us, did all the difficult and scary things,” he said. “Both Russ and Rylee were on top of the rig – very high water levels, so extremely loud, just a rough situation to be in.”
SHFAD personnel “packaged” the victim, then set up a rope system to bring Watts safely to the roadway and the waiting ambulance. She appeared to have non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital for further evaluation.
“It couldn’t have gone any better in that situation,” Whitfield said.
SHFAD personnel came to Prineville Thursday and presented Deboodt and Wood with Life Saver Awards. Whitfield and SHFAD Fire Chief Nick Tyler presented the plaques during a Crook County Fire and Rescue board meeting and shared their thoughts about that day.
Tyler shared that a week or so after the event, Watts came to the Sweet Home fire station to thank everyone for what happened.
“It was extremely emotional and a rare gift we get when things go well,” he said. “If you change one thing in this whole scenario, it turns out completely different.”
Watts, who attended the ceremony virtually, was also given the opportunity to thank her rescuers.
“I am still speechless about the entire circumstance,” she said, “but I just want to reiterate how grateful I am to have you guys there, otherwise … circumstances might have been much different.”
Crook County Fire Chief Matt Smith also spoke, saying he is proud of what Deboodt and Wood did that day.
“I think it is a reflection of any of our responders put in that position,” he added.
Wood, who also attended the meeting virtually due to a work assignment, said he was glad that everything worked out the way it did. Deboodt echoed those sentiments.
“It’s fantastic to hear you are doing so well,” he said. “We are just glad we were driving. We are glad we were able to help out.”