A camper staying at Indian Mary County Park, and her dog, are missing and feared drowned after an incident at the parks boat ramp into the Rogue River yesterday. However, the husband of the missing woman was pulled from the water by a bystander who immediately began CPR with the help of the patient’s son.
Rescue crews from Rural Metro Fire, AMR-Josephine County, and marine deputies from the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office arrived and initiated a full search and rescue operation. CPR was continued until pulses were regained and the patient was transported to the hospital (current condition unknown).
Firefighters and deputies searched the water from a boat and by “hasty search” on the bank. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was also deployed.
The search was called off just before 8p last night. The cause of the accident remains unclear due to lack of witnesses.
Authorities say Indian Mary Park is one of several locations on the Rogue River where this type of accident has occurred in the past.
During this time of year when the weather warms up and people start hanging out near the river, First Responders routinely issue safety reminders to prevent tragic mishaps such as this. Water levels are very high and move deceptively swift below the surface.
Melting snowpack keeps the water colder than expected, and will quickly affect muscle function. (current Rogue conditions: 55 degrees and flowing at 4960 cfs).
Medford Alert will continue to monitor this search and provide updates as they become available.
Source: RMFD-JoCo
