PORTLAND, Ore. — The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office has a River Patrol unit in charge of maintaining the safety of 110 miles of river including Sandy, Columbia, and Willamette — and they have their work cut out for them for the next couple days, with a heat wave and a holiday weekend converging and sending thousands of people out to enjoy the river.
Deputy Chad Diekmann said being an officer patrolling the waters is a different ball game than working the roads.
"Let's say a deputy was to do a traffic stop on the road, all those cars are stopped and they become stationary," Diekmann explained. "Whereas out here, the water is still flowing and the wind is still blowing. Everything is still moving for us right, so we don't operate in a stationary environment."
Diekmann has been a deputy for the Multnomah County Sheriffs' Department River Patrol for five years. Only two officers onboard one boat cover more than 100 miles of rivers.
The River Patrol unit juggles a wide array of tasks from stopping someone from jumping off a high point into the water to routine boat checks, ensuring people have a fire extinguisher and enough life jackets on board.
Some boaters said they're glad to know there are extra eyes on the waterways.
"Especially with all the 4th of July activities going on," said Mike Eckhardt, a boater enjoying time with his family who spoke to KGW. "There can be a lot of people drinking and a lot of people just not paying attention to what they should be, from boating safety standards to just taking care of themselves. "
"It is always good to have somebody out here just to give us refreshers of what we need to do," said Grant Hartmann, also enjoying some family time on the water. "Make sure we are doing the right things and, you know, just staying safe. That way everyone can have a good enjoyable time."
Deputy Diekmann said he wants to stress that while it can be fun to be out on the water, it can also be very dangerous. The river unit is also responsible for recovering people after drownings, and he said they see about 50 cases each year. He and his team are determined to get that number down, and want people to know the essentials of boat safety.
"Wear your life jacket and make sure were drinking plenty of water," said Diekmann. "Have people just around to keep you safe and again who can call for help."