[OSMB-News] News Release -Marine Law Enforcement Officers Honored for Outstanding Achievement, Lives Saved

[Massey, Ashley]

For Immediate Release                         Date: Thursday, December 27, 2012

Marine Law Enforcement Officers Honored for Outstanding Achievement, Lives Saved

              The Oregon State Marine Board honored Marine Law Enforcement Deputies from around the state for their outstanding achievements and lifesaving efforts during the 2012 boating season, at their annual post-season conference held on December 6, in Bend.  The Marine Board's conference was held in conjunction with the Oregon State Sheriff's Association's annual conference in an effort to minimize costs and maximize the time for law enforcement personnel.
            Three categories of awards were presented this year: Officer of the Year, Outstanding Achievement, and Life Saving.  Marine Director Scott Brewen presented the awards, along with law enforcement program managers or the local Sheriff of the award recipient.
            The Officer of the Year award was presented to Deputy Nate Thompson from the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.  This award represents performance above and beyond the call of duty.  This award is for a marine officer who has distinguished themselves by exceptional service to the Marine Program.  "Deputy Thompson exemplifies everything a Marine Officer should be," said Marty Law, Boating Safety Manager for the Marine Board.  "Deputy Thompson can always be counted on, makes thousands of boat contacts a year and also teaches boating safety to local Clackamas County schools.  His knowledge of boating and operation skills is a huge asset to the county and to the Marine Board. Nate has become one of the core instructors for the Marine Academy and jet boat operator's course for marine law enforcement and has helped develop a personal watercraft course for implementation in 2013.  He is also a trained, Swift Water Rescue AND Rope Rescue Technician and has come to the aid of the Clackamas County Fire District #1 and other sheriff's office units for local search and rescue operations."  Law added, "Nate also has a very strong mechanical aptitude and is relied upon by his department and other neighboring agencies to keep their boats on the water."  Additionally, Deputy Thompson participated in a boating safety video for the Marine Board about boating under the influence of alcohol, conflict, congestion and courtesy, and wearing personal flotation devices and during the taping, never skipped a beat and would stop taping to interact with floaters entering the water from the boat ramp to make sure they weren't carrying any alcohol and had the proper equipment.  Deputy Thompson is very articulate and knows how to communicate well with the boating public, ultimately helping keep the waterways safer for everyone to enjoy.
            There were two recipients for the Outstanding Achievement award: Jason Denton from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office and Lt. Dustin Hald from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.  This award recognizes excellence in performing all areas of marine patrol: enforcement, public education, partnerships and administering the program in such a way that enhance the quality of safety, service and outreach.  Jackson County's Deputy Jason Denton exemplifies outstanding achievement.  During the 2012 boating season, Denton single-handedly made 1298 boater contacts and made 23 BUII arrests from July 1 to present.  Denton leads the way in BUII detection in the state and has been an integral component to safer waterways in Jackson County.  Denton is also a talented instructor and helps the Marine Board's law enforcement training program by teaching new marine law enforcement personnel for the Marine Academy, drift boat and white water jet boat schools held this year.  The other Outstanding Achievement award was presented to Columbia County's Lt. Dustin Hald.  The Sheriff's Office faced extreme financial instability in 2012 and even with a tremendous list of responsibilities, including supervising the entire enforcement division, office staff, reserves and marine patrol; he dove right in and made much needed repairs to the boats using his own personal time.  Lt. Hald enlisted the help of other members of the Sheriff's Office to help achieve program goals and managed to spend one to two full shifts per week of active water patrol that increased the number of boater contacts and on-the-water contract hours.  During his time on patrol, Lt. Hald stopped three individuals for BUII, which inspired other marine deputies to work harder in BUII detection and enforcement.  "Lt. Hald is doing as a leader should -leading from the front," said Marine Deputy Dustin King, who submitted the nomination for Outstanding Achievement to the Marine Board.
            Thanks to the efforts of marine law enforcement from Benton, Curry, Deshutes, Malheur and Wallowa counties, 16 lives were saved; Fifteen human and one canine.  The Life Saving Award recognizes personnel who have exhibited heroism in saving, or attempting to save, a person involved in a dangerous or live-threatening water-related incident.
*       On Sunday, September 4, 2011, at about 5:30pm, Benton County Marine Deputies Kyle Cooper and Adam Brenneman were patrolling the Willamette River on personal watercraft near the Crystal Lake Boat Ramp near Corvallis. They saw a group of teenage girls on rafts and inner tubes struggling in the middle of the river. An adult male in a kayak was waving the deputies over to the girls. As the deputies got nearer, they recognized the group from several hours before when the deputies contacted them near the Peoria Boat Ramp. The group of four girls had tied one small raft and two inner tubes together while floating the river. The deputies reminded them about the dangers of being tied together. The male in the kayak was one of the girl's fathers. Everyone had a personal floatation device, but none were wearing one. The group untied their rafts. When Deputies Cooper and Brenneman got closer to the group, they saw the crafts were entangled around a log.  Deputy Brenneman noticed one of the girls was caught by her leg in the ropes under the water. She was unable to stand or keep her head above water. Deputy Cooper maneuvered his personal watercraft close and cut the rope that was holding the girl under water. The rope unwrapped and freed the girls from the log. The group all climbed onto their raft and hung onto Deputy Cooper's personal watercraft until Deputy Konzelman arrived with a patrol boat and transported them to the Crystal Lake Boat ramp. No one received any injuries due to the quick action by Deputy Cooper and Deputy Brenneman.
*       On Monday, September 5, 2011, at about 4:08 pm, Marine Deputies Kyle Cooper and Adam Brenneman were patrolling the Willamette River in a patrol boat, near the Van Buren Street Bridge near Corvallis. They saw a young male swimming in the middle of the river, with no personal flotation device. As they got closer, they watched as he went under the water several times. They immediately threw him a life ring and brought him on board and transported him to Michael's Landing. The seventeen year old boy said he was trying to swim from the Mary's River to Michael's Landing, a distance of about a mile and a half. He became tired about half way down, and experienced muscle fatigue, combined with cold water and could no longer keep his head above water.
*       On September 2nd, 2011 at about 2:30pm, The Curry County Sheriff's Office was notified of a capsized boat in Blossom Bar Rapids on the Rogue River with a possible drowning involved. Marine Deputy Ted Heath responded to the area by towing his patrol boat thirty-four miles upriver to launch at Foster Bar boat ramp. Deputy Heath was advised by Curry County Sheriff John Bishop that he would meet Heath at the boat ramp and assist in the rescue.  Sheriff Bishop arrived at Foster Bar awaiting Deputy Heath's arrival when he noticed a swimmer that appeared to be in distress in the middle of the river. The swimmer started to go under water.  Sheriff Bishop summoned a nearby boater, Robert Bumguardner and his wife Judith, who were able to use their jet boat to push the swimmer closer to the Sheriff who at this point, had jumped in the water to get to the swimmer. The swimmer was too exhausted to grab the side of Bumgardner's boat and was assisted to shore by Sheriff Bishop. Deputy Heath arrived at the boat ramp and saw the unidentified swimmer sitting at the water's edge. The swimmer was extremely exhausted and too weak to stand up but, refused medical assistance. It was later determined that the swimmer had entered the river about a mile and a half upstream, in an attempt to get to his camp site, when he was caught up in current. The swimmer had drifted through the treacherous rapids of Foster Bar before being rescued by the Sheriff, which was miraculous, in and of itself.  Sheriff Bishop and Deputy Heath then resumed their response for the original call -a capsized boat and missing person, which they were able to locate.  Unfortunately, this person did not survive.  His body was recovered a few days later.
*       On May 20, 2012, Deschutes County Deputies Eric Brown and Tom Teaford finished trailering their patrol boat at the North Wickiup boat ramp.  Deputy Brown observed a boat capsizing approximately 30 feet from the end of the dock and several people were struggling in the water near the boat.  Deputy Brown could see the people were in serious trouble so he quickly located a flotation device and ran to the end of the dock.  In the water were three adults and two small children.  None of the adults was wearing a life jacket.  Deputy Brown threw the flotation device toward the adults, but a strong cross wind made the device fall short of the victims.  Deputy Brown removed his utility belt, preparing to enter the water and simultaneously made contact with his partner, Deputy Tom Teaford.  Deputy Teaford had a rescue rope and successfully deployed it to Rebecca Steele, who was approximately 15 feet from the dock, holding her 15-month old son, James in the water that was approximately 15 feet deep.  Deputy Teaford and Brown were able to pull Rebecca and James to the dock.  Rebecca was instructed to hold onto the dock as Deputy Brown removed the infant from the water.  Deputy Teaford assisted Rebecca out of the water while Deputy Brown re-deployed the throw rope to 74 year old, Joel Wade, who was holding onto the bow of the capsized boat.  Two off-duty Deschutes County Search and Rescue Volunteers, Molly McCallum and Roger Allen were nearby in their personal boat and threw a life jacket to Joel Wade.  Deputy Brown and Teaford were able to pull Wade to the dock.  A second child, five year old Dana Goddard, was being held by Delores Steele.  SAR Volunteers McCallum and Allen maneuvered their boat to a position that enabled them to safely pull Dana onto their boat.  Deputy Brown, then deployed the throw rope to Steele and pulled her to the dock where she was then able to walk up the ramp, unaided.  Due to a physical limitation, Joel Wade was unable to pull himself onto the dock and Deputies were unable to remove him from the water.  Deputies Brown and Teaford were able to grab ahold of him and alongside the ramp, however; due to the water temperature and exhaustion, Wade was struggling to maintain his grip on the dock.  The Deputies were also concerned they would lose their grip on him.  Deputy Brown was able to rig the throw rope around Wade's back and arms which held him partially out of the water.  Deputy Brown assisted Wade far enough up the ramp to where other deputies could assist him onto the dock.  Water temperatures at the time were just over 50 degrees.  It's clear that as a result of the quick thinking and decisive action on the part of Deputies Brown and Teaford, as well as the SAR Volunteers McCallum and Allen, five lives were saved that day.
*       On June 2, 2012, Payette County Idaho Deputies Patrick Weber, Steve Burgess and Malheur County Sr. Deputy Anthony Hackman responded in Payette County to a boat crash located upriver from the Ontario boat ramp.  Two individuals identified as Vimal Vagha and Eric Wilber were standing on a sunken boat in medium current near the train trestle that crosses the river and one subject was standing on a sand bar approximately 10 yards from the other individuals.  The deputies positioned their boat in the current below the two subjects, who were not wearing life jackets.  Mr. Vagha had severe facial trauma; his eyes were swollen shut and a large amount of blood was coming from lacerations on his right cheek and nose.  This gentleman was having difficulty breathing, was hypothermic and quickly going into shock.  Mr. Wilber, who was standing next to Mr. Vagha was wearing a white shirt covered with blood.  Mr. Wilber turned gray and could not communicate indicating he too, was hypothermic and in shock.  Deputy Weber held the bow of the patrol boat near where the two men were standing.  Deputy Burgess placed a life jacket on Mr. Vagha and lifted him into the patrol boat.  Mr. Vagha immediately collapsed.  Deputy Hackman advised Mr. Wilber that they were going to lift him next to the boat but was deteriorating quickly.  Unable to communicated and appearing confused, Deputies Burgess and Hackman each grabbed an arm and attempted to lift him into the boat, unsuccessfully.  Deputy Weber then drove the patrol boat to the sandbar with both deputies holding onto Mr. Wilber.  The driver of the crashed boat, Mr. Manning, was able to assist the deputies in getting Mr. Wilber into the boat.  Mr. Wilber sat in the tripod position on the bow and also appeared to have difficulty breathing.  As soon as the men were all in the boat, they were immediately transported to the Ontario boat ramp where Treasure Valley paramedics were waiting.  At the boat ramp, Mr. Vagha and Mr. Wilber were back-boarded and placed into the ambulances.  Mr. Wilber crashed immediately and the paramedics had to place a large needle into Mr. Wilber's chest to re-inflate his collapsed lung.  Mr. Wilber was transported code 3 to the hospital.  The driver of the boat was charged with boating under the influence of intoxicants and reckless endangering.  Both victims fortunately made full recoveries.  The paramedics reported that the cold water and quick response helped save the lives of these to victims.
*       On August 19, 2012 Deputy Lawrence McBurney was patrolling the south end of Wallowa Lake when the wind suddenly picked up.  Deputy McBurney decided to check on boaters to see if anyone needed assistance.  After helping a distressed kayaker return to shore, Deputy McBurney saw another boat toward the center of the lake.  Within minutes the wind was gusting around 50 miles an hour and the waves were cresting upward 6 to 7 feet.  Progress to the boat was slow and rough with nearly zero visibility and waves breaking over the bow of the patrol boat.  Upon arrival to the open 16-foot motorboat, there were four occupants and a large, yellow lab.  The only person wearing a life jacket was a small child, Evan Porter, age 6.  A female, Amy Porter who was pregnant, was furiously bailing water from the boat.  A man, Brent Hergert was at the tiller of the 6 hp motor and driving into the waves in an attempt to keep the boat from swamping.  Another woman, Debra Hergert, was at the bow of the boat and had been suffering from a variety of physical ailments, which would later prove challenging.  The boat was being violently slammed with each set of waves, making it impossible to contact the vessel safely from the side.  While positioning the boat from near the bow, Deputy McBurney tried to tell the occupants to don life jackets, but the wave and wind action were too loud for them to hear his commands.  It was difficult to maneuver the boat because the waves and wind continually pushed the boats apart.  After multiple attempts to communicate with the occupants, a series of waves trampled the small boat, capsizing it and ejecting all of the occupants.  Everyone except for Mrs. Hergert was able to swim.  Mrs. Hergert was able to grab a child's life jacket in her left hand.  She was near the boat, which was taken up by a wave, and then violently slammed down, onto her head.  Deputy McBurney dropped his utility belt onto the floor of the patrol boat and tossed out a throw rope and a Type IV float cushion, neither caught by the occupants.  McBurney was close enough to Mrs. Hergert to the swim platform but she was unable to hold onto the boat.  While holding Mrs. Hergert, McBurney managed to throw the rope with the float cushion out to Mr. Hergert, but again, the wind caught the device and it fell short. Then, Mr. Hergert's dog swam over to the flotation device, retrieved it, and swam directly to Mr. Hergert.  The dog stayed with Mr. Hergert while McBurney tried to help Mrs. Hergert into the boat.  Ms. Porter was able to swim to the boat with her son, who was being helped by the wind and timed a wave to where she lifted the boy to McBurney who ran the boy to the bow and put him into the operator's chair of the patrol boat.  Ms. Porter was pulled onboard immediately helped pull Mrs. Hergert onto the swim platform.  Moments before, Mrs. Hergert was about to give up.  She repeatedly was pushed under the transom of the boat.  At one point, McBurney lost grip of her and was forced to pull her from her hair.   After several attempts and maneuvering, McBurney and Ms. Porter finally managed to pull Mrs. Hergert into the boat.  Then McBurney maneuvered the boat to Mr. Hergert and his faithful dog that had drifted nearly 200 feet away.  Both were retrieved successfully, and Mr. Hergert requested the dog be rescued first.  Once everyone was on board the patrol boat, McBurney instructed all of them to don life jackets and contacted dispatch for an ambulance.  It took a while to make progress back to the boat ramp, but once there, all of the victims were checked out by medics but refused hospital care.  A few days later, Deputy McBurney contacted Mr. Hergert to follow up and learned that x-rays indicated Mrs. Hergert suffered from bruised lungs and internal bruising.  Fortunately, all four victims and their dog survived their outing on Wallowa Lake that day.  Wallowa County Sheriff Fred Steen said, "He did an awesome job by himself, controlling the patrol boat and retrieving all of them from the rough water."  Sheriff Steen also said that not only did Deputy McBurney deserve an award, but so did the dog.

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Photos of the award recipients can be found at www.facebook.com/boatoregon<http://www.facebook.com/boatoregon> or www.twitter.com/marineboard<http://www.twitter.com/marineboard>.



Ashley A. Massey
Public Information Officer
Oregon State Marine Board
503-378-2623
Ashley.massey at state.or.us<mailto:Ashley.massey at state.or.us>

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