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more photosFrom left, John Ayres, 43, of Los Angeles, Liam Doherty, 7, of Ashland, and Wong Angke, 22, of Tibet, paddle down the Deschutes River on Monday in Sunriver.
Dean Guernsey / The Bulletin
Sheriff’s Office to step up patrols after tragedies
Being responsible on the river is key, officials say
By Christopher Stollar / The Bulletin
Published: July 24. 2007 4:00AM PSTSUNRIVER — Standing on the banks of the Deschutes River, Jeff Larson watched his boys swim in Sunriver on a hot Monday afternoon.
Larson, 42, of Portland, could have gone to the river at Bend’s Old Mill District, a popular stretch where many people float past shops each summer on inner tubes and air mattresses.
But like many others, Larson prefers to spend his time in Sunriver, known for its quiet stretch of river that centers around the town’s marina and remains subject to less stringent laws than those in Bend.
But out of concern for drinking on the river and people not wearing life jackets — not to mention recent tragedies along other parts of the river — the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office has decided to step up enforcement with boat patrols.
“I just wish people would wake up and be more responsible,” Cpl. Neil Mackey said, adding that just north the waters are deadly. “There are killer falls down there.”
The rules
On all of Deschutes County’s waterways, people must abide by the Oregon State Marine Board’s laws that govern everything from life jackets to noise muffling.
But in Bend, two extra ordinances apply — no drinking or bridge jumping. Police can cite people up to $500 for drinking while floating and $250 for jumping from a bridge.
South of Bend, Mackey said those ordinances do not apply.
People can jump from some bridges there because Deschutes County has no law against it.
People operating boats can also drink, but their blood alcohol content cannot be .08 or higher, the legal limit for drunken driving.
“You can’t be under the influence,” Sheriff Capt. Marc Mills said. “So it’s a Catch-22.”
Whether the Sheriff’s Office can cite people for drinking depends on the definition of a “boat.” State law defines a boat as any watercraft used for transportation on the water, Mackey said. It does not include single inner tubes, air mattresses or beach toys.
But Mackey said once a person ties two or more things together — like the SpongeBob SquarePants air mattresses he sees on the river — Oregon law defines it as a boat.
“I don’t make the rules, I just enforce them,” Mackey said with a laugh.
People who float on an inner tube or water toy can have a blood alcohol content higher than .08, Mackey added.
That includes people wading by the bank and those not helping to “control” the boat.
While the Sheriff’s Office may pull somebody from the water who looks dangerous, deputies cannot cite people who are not floating on boats.
“The boating industry tends to run behind the driving industry,” Marine Board spokeswoman Ashley Massey said. “Right now, unfortunately there’s no law against drinking and boating. People like to have a couple beers while floating.”
The floaters
Larson, for one, refuses to drink on the river.
He also requires his two 14-year-old boys, Evan and Austin, to wear life jackets while swimming.
“We’re pretty picky about what they can and can’t do,” Larson said. “The key is knowing where you’re putting in and taking out.”
David Ayres, 73, of Ashland, also prepared ahead of time.
He came to the Sunriver Resort’s popular marina with family members.
They used to live on a boat and have experience in competitive swimming and life-guarding.
“We’re all seafarers,” Ayres said. “(Safety) is absolutely important. It should be No. 1.”
But others, like Kevin Pedrotti from Sacramento, Calif., said he did not want stricter rules in the Sunriver area.
“We’re adults,” he said.
That type of attitude concerned Mackey, who said people used to drinking a couple of beers over a meal at home often think they can fare the same on the water.
But they forget that the mix of sun, dehydration and alcohol affects a person’s awareness.
‘Can we bring beer?’
In fact, one of the most common questions marina employee Eric Jackson gets is, “Can we bring beer?”
He has worked at a Sunriver boat-rental company for the past five years. In that time, Jackson has heard many questions. About half involve alcohol.
Some people even wonder if the Deschutes River goes in a circle.
“The lack of information is definitely an issue,” Jackson said. “A lot of people come down here thinking it’s a Disneyland ride.”
The Deschutes River is anything but a theme-park amusement. It snakes for 87.4 miles from Little Lava Lake to Bend, meandering through several falls, snags and a log jam before reaching Bend.
In the last month alone, rescuers have responded to several water incidents.
On Sunday, three Redmond rafters went through Big Eddy Rapids on air mattresses and became stranded on a lava flow for about an hour. Earlier this month, a 17-year-old Redmond girl drowned while floating the river with a friend.
“You’ve got to always be aware,” Massey said. “Rivers are dynamic. They’re never the same.e_SDRq
Christopher Stollar can be reached at 617-7818 or cstollar@bendbulletin.com.
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