Woman thrown from raft at Big Eddy rapids, rescued

A 70-year-old woman was thrown from a whitewater raft into the Deschutes River while navigating the Big Eddy rapids on Sunday afternoon, but she was wearing a life jacket, made it to shore uninjured and was rescued, officials said.

Bend Fire and Rescue was called shortly after 3 p.m. to the reported swift-water rescue on the river southwest of Bend, Battalion Chief Jeff Blake said.

The woman was thrown from a raft operated by her son-in-law as they were descending through the rapids, Blake said. She was able to reach the shore ” river right ” on the lava flow side, he added.

Bend Fire and Rescue thanked Sun Country Tours and Inn of the Seventh Mountain, which helped develop a plan to bring the woman back across the river safely, using the fire department’s raft and personnel from each entity.

” The cooperation and communication between the fire department and the commercial rafting companies was essential to the success of this rescue, ” Blake wrote. ” Bend Fire and Rescue would like to thank them for their assistance and to the individual that paddled one of our personnel across the river above the rapids, so we could access the patient.

” Whitewater rafting can be dangerous, ” Blake added. ” Please make sure that if you are rafting the river to follow all the rules, scout the rapids before you go through them and always wear a life jacket. ”