GRANTS PASS, OR. — A large-scale search and rescue operation unfolded just after midnight on July 12 near Pickett Creek when more than 100 rafters participating in a nighttime float ran into unexpected danger on the Rogue River.
Multiple 911 calls reporting missing or distressed rafters triggered an immediate emergency response. According to Rural Metro Fire, the incident drew a coordinated effort from Grants Pass Fire, the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, AMR-Josephine County, and Rural Metro Fire units, all converging at the Robertson Bridge Boat Ramp to begin rescue operations.
Initial reports revealed that the rafters had launched their night float from Matson Park but encountered a serious hazard in the water near the boat ramp—a tree known as a “strainer” that jutted into the river. The obstruction trapped several rafts in its branches and caused others to overturn, throwing participants into the swift current.
“Some people were without life jackets and unaccounted for,” the Rural Metro Fire Department stated. The search extended upstream as far as Griffin Park, where glow sticks were spotted along the riverbank and some participants were reported to have exited the water.
The Sheriff’s Marine Deputy played a pivotal role in the operation, using a power boat to conduct rapid searches of the river and shuttle both rescuers and rafters back to safety. Members of the rafting group also assisted in pulling others from the water and helping them ashore.
After several tense hours of gathering rafters and attempting to identify who was missing, rescuers were relieved to find that all participants had been accounted for. No injuries were reported.
Rural Metro Fire noted that many of the rafters were participating in a night float for the first time—an experience that, for some, may also be their last. “Some participants of the event, reportedly involving over 100 rafters, were heard mentioning this was their first night float… and definitely their last,” the agency stated in its report.
Authorities reiterated the importance of water safety, particularly when recreating at night. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers present on local waterways and the necessity of wearing life jackets.