In a quick and dramatic water rescue captured on video Wednesday afternoon, Vancouver firefighters pulled a man from the Columbia River as he clung to a log.
Witnesses called 911 about 3:45 p.m. when they watched a man jump from the Interstate 5 bridge about 60 feet into the cold river. It’s unclear why he jumped.
The Vancouver Fire Department’s boat responded within eight minutes, encountering abnormally high river levels due to recent flooding, which created a “dangerous and strong current of water coming from different directions,” said public information officer Bryan Fredrickson. In less than a minute, three extensively trained firefighters navigated the river as it pushed their 46-foot boat sideways. They rescued the man between pilings along the shore near the Red Lion Quay, a hotel on the Vancouver side of the river’s shoreline.
The man survived and was taken to the hospital, Fredrickson said. The extent of his injuries are unclear.
As the summer begins, Vancouver, Portland and Port of Portland’s fire rescue boats will respond to many waterway rescues such as this, Fredrickson explained.
The agencies divvy up rescues depending on the location of a person in distress. Vancouver’s fire boat responds to about 50 water rescue calls per year, according to Vancouver Fire Department data.
—The Oregonian/OregonLive
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