McKenzie rafters survive after spill.

Byline: Jim Murez The Register-Guard

VIDA - One man was plucked from a rock, two rafters were cited for boating under the influence and the raft's owner was cited for failing to carry life jackets after a short-lived rafting trip narrowly avoided tragedy Tuesday afternoon.

The group of four rafters put in the McKenzie River at Ben and Kay Dorris Park, not far above Martin Rapids, in their four-person raft, said Sgt. Byron Trapp of the Lane County Sheriff's marine patrol.

The foursome was headed toward the rapids just downstream when their raft flipped shortly before 5 p.m., tossing the two men and two women, none of whom was wearing a life jacket, into the water.

Three of the rafters clung to the boat and rode out the rapids while the fourth instead grabbed onto a rock above the white water.

The three rafters waited until the raft reached slower water, then made their way to shore. The fourth required the help of the McKenzie fire department's rescue boat and sheriff's deputies to return to shore. Trapp estimated that the man was on the rock for less than an hour. His lack of a life jacket caused him to decide to hang onto the rock rather than navigate the rapids without the safety of the raft, Trapp said.

With more people heading to the rivers for summer recreation, Trapp emphasized that they need to have life jackets on their raft or boat and should be wearing them, especially when they are in a moving boat.

Trapp said he wants to get the word out now to avoid boating seasons like the previous two, with an above average number of drownings.

Though Trapp recalled water rescues involving overturned drift boats this year, he said this was the first water rescue of the season involving a raft.

"They admitted they were completely inexperienced, didn't know what Oregon law required and had no experience with whitewater," Trapp said. "After the fact, they recognized they positioned themselves wrong in the boat. It was mostly inexperience with the type of boating they were doing and the lack of knowledge with what Oregon law required."

The four rafters were all between 18 and 20 years old. One lives in Drain while the other three are Eugene residents, Trapp said.

That section of the river is notorious for soaking rafters and boaters, Trapp said.

"It's not uncommon at all for people to flip over there through that stretch," he said. "Some go through the most difficult spot on purpose. Even the bigger rafts get flipped in there."

The group lost a duffel bag with clothes and a cell phone, which could have been prevented by using the proper type of bag and tying it to the raft, Trapp said. "It's pretty common to lose a lot of gear through there," he added.

Once the four were safely ashore, two members of the party were cited for boating under the influence, which has the same standard as driving under the influence, because they helped paddle the raft. The four were then taken to their vehicle.