Eugene man drowns in rain-swollen river.

Byline: Tim Christie The Register-Guard

Steady rain Saturday kept creeks and rivers swollen in Lane County and claimed the life of a Eugene man who drowned while trying to rescue fellow rafters stuck on an island in the Willamette River.

High water covered roads and pastures in parts of rural Lane County, closing Highway 126 near Cushman for much of the day. And more wet weather is on the way.

Another storm is expected to hit Oregon today, bringing more rain as well as high winds on the coast. The rain may not be as heavy as it was in recent days, but it should be enough to keep rivers full, said meteorologist Tiffani Brown of the National Weather Service in Portland. In fact, rain isn't expected to let up all week long.

"Things are under control, but we're definitely continuing to monitor the situation because we're not out of the woods by any means," said Lane County Emergency Manager Linda Cook.

Rain-swollen rivers are a tempting playground for adventurous boaters, including a party of 13 experienced rafters from Eugene who launched two 14-foot inflatable rafts and a one-person raft into the brown, swollen waters of the North Fork of the Willamette River about 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

They planned to go only about eight miles and get out at Westfir. But before the trip was over, Brian T. Niemeyer, 48, of Eugene, was dead.

"The river is a great place to recreate for experienced rafters and kayakers," said John Miller, search and rescue coordinator for the Lane County Sheriff's Office. "Unfortunately, you make a mistake in this kind of weather and it can be fatal."

The first inflatable raft had no problems, but the second boat capsized, dumping six rafters in the river, Miller said. Three got to shore, and three clambered onto a grassy island in the middle of the river.

A chase vehicle following on land flagged down the rafters in the first boat, who came to shore, hauled their boat upstream and re-launched to rescue their stranded friends, Miller said.

The rafters came to shore across from the island, tied a rope to their raft, and tried to swing the vessel out to the island so their friends could get on, he said. But when the raft got out in the river, the current was too strong, and the rope snapped.

"It sounded like a gun shot," said Miller, who had just arrived on the scene.

The raft catapulted three of the six rafters into the river, the other three managed to stay in the raft and get to shore. One of the dumped rafters was able to get to shore on his own, and one was rescued by a marine deputy, but Niemeyer kept floating downstream.

Deputies followed Niemeyer down the river, but he didn't respond to their shouts, Miller said. The force of the current unzipped his life jacket and ripped it off his body, Miller said.

Niemeyer was the 17th drowning victim in Lane County in 2005.

Elsewhere in the county, the high waters proved to be more of a nuisance than a serious threat.

"A lot of low-lying areas near the river beds are experiencing some flooding, and country roads and rural roads are covered with high water," said Cook, the emergency manager.

Residents of Mapleton and the Mohawk Valley are used to their rivers flooding in this kind of weather, she said.

Dustin and Jennifer Moore moved into their house on River View Avenue in Mapleton about four months ago. At the time, they were across the street from the Siuslaw River. On Saturday, they had a closer view.

"We've got riverfront property now," Dustin Moore said.

Water had reached the elevated house, but hadn't yet reached the floors, he said. To be safe, they moved valuables to the second story, elevated other household items on tables and chairs, and sent their children to their grandmother's house in Florence.

"We're just waiting it out," Moore said. "Neighbors are driving boats around so if you need help there's always someone around."

The Siuslaw was at 21 feet, three feet above flood stage Saturday afternoon, and forecast to remain above flood stage until Monday afternoon, according to the Weather Service.

High water closed Highway 126 at Cushman for much of the day. Crews re-opened the highway Saturday afternoon to one lane, manned by flaggers, at milepost 8, said the Oregon Department of Transportation.

In the Mohawk Valley, high water closed Old Mohawk Road and covered parts of Sunderman Road, including much of the back nine at Springfield Country Club. Some homes, like James and Cherie Parmenter's place, were cut off from the road by high water but still dry.

"I'm grateful it's not getting up to the house," Cherie Parmenter said. "It hasn't done any damage except for a little section of fence.

"We've got food and water so we're fine. It would have to get up another eight feet to get into the house."

Road and highway crews stayed busy Saturday clearing roads and keeping track of rising water.

Highway 36 near Triangle Lake, closed Friday by multiple slides, re-opened Saturday afternoon, ODOT said.

Interstate 5 in the Siskyou Mountains of southern Oregon, also closed Friday by slides, remained opened all day Saturday, allowing stranded travelers to make their way home.

But high water remained along the interstate in many locations, and ODOT spokesman Jared Castle urged motorists to drive with caution: Avoid cruise control, drive with two hands, don't pump anti-lock brakes, and if motorists hit standing water, they should take their foot off the gas and make no sudden turns.

Highway 38 between Reedsport and Drain, which had been closed Friday, re-opened and will be monitored through the night, Castle said.

But Highway 101 had numerous trouble spots.

It was closed in California, two miles south of the Oregon border. It was closed at Gardiner, south of Florence, for most of the day, due to high water. And south of Port Orford, a slide restricted traffic to one lane, guided by a pilot car, before closing for the night at 5 p.m.

CAPTION(S):

Dave Bechtold of Florence makes his way through the water on Highway 126 near Cushman. A lift kit on his pickup enabled him to go through. Thomas Boyd / The Register-Guard Boldfaceand this is light text and this is more light text Kevin Clark / The Register-Guard A tow truck operator pulls a stranded vehicle out of the water near Cushman. Highway 126 near Cushman was closed for much of the day due to high water. INSIDE Fleeing: Rampaging rivers force Northern California evacuations / A3 Back in business: Interstate 5 reopens south of Ashland / A9 Thomas Boyd / The Register-Guard Kathy Niemeyer is consoled after her husband, Brian Niemeyer, drowned in the North Fork of the Willamette River during a rafting trip.