Firemen Rescue 2 Fishermen Stranded In River Below Oregon’s Green Peter Dam

A pair of fishermen in Oregon were rescued Sunday night after they became trapped on an island in the Middle Santiam River, below Green Peter Dam, with water levels rapidly rising.

The Sweet Home Fire District said crews responded shortly before 6 p.m. Sunday to the area below the dam for a water rescue of two stranded fishermen. They arrived to find the fishermen were not in immediate danger, but they were surrounded by rising water and unable to get back to shore.

The fire department launched a boat from nearby Sunnyside Park and traveled upriver to retrieve the men. After assessing the fishermen, crews returned them to Sunnyside Park, where they returned to their vehicle.

No injuries were reported. The Linn county Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene to assist, and the Lebanon Fire District provided ambulance coverage while Sweet Home crews conducted the rescue.

A video shared by the fire district shows a boat crew coming to rescue the two men from a small, rocky island in the middle of the fast-moving river.

“This is a great reminder to all who visit this stretch of river that water levels can rise rapidly with little to no warning when the dam spill gates are opened,” Sweet Home Fire District said in a statement.

The Green Peter Dam in Linn County, about 10 miles upstream of Sweet Home, is a concrete gravity dam that generates hydroelectric power and creates the Green Peter Reservoir, which is used for recreation in addition to flood control and irrigation.