PORTLAND, Ore. — After months of overcast skies and rain, the Portland metro area is seeing some unexpected sun.
"I'm in shorts season from March 1 to Nov. 1," said Steve Mosher, a Portland native who has lived in the area for decades. "I never wear long pants, so this weather is good for me."
People were eager to enjoy the outdoors and that kept crews busy with three water rescues on Friday evening.
One was a juvenile who couldn't swim in the Clackamas River near Gladstone but ended up okay, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said.
Two adults who got stuck on a rock at Moulton Falls in Clark County where the water was 42 degrees were rescued with no injuries, Fire District 13 said.
A man was pulled to safety by another swimmer after he became disoriented from the cold water in the Sandy River by Lewis and Clark State Park in Troutdale according to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office.
There were two more water rescues on Saturday evening on the Clackamas River near the High Rocks swimming area. Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said one person was yelling for help as they drifted down river before bystanders jumped in to assist. No further details were available, but officials said everyone was accounted for and there were no serious injuries to report.
Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Richard Bruno said each year, the county loses people who drown in dangerous waters, "especially areas like the Sandy River or the Willamette River."
"A lot of the mountain runoff is still very cold; water temperatures are in the 40s and 50s and haven't quite warmed up to the air temperature yet," he warned.
Bruno said it can be easy to forget these high temperatures can be deadly, so people need to take precautions.
"It's a good idea to be proactive about hydrating," Bruno advised. "Carrying that water with you, drinking water throughout the day, as well as sunscreen."
AMR will not start patrolling local bodies of water until Memorial Day. Click here to track water temperatures in your area.
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office has opened life jacket kiosks at Glenn Otto Park, Oxbow Regional Park, Dodge Park, Lewis and Clark Recreation Site, and Dabney State Park that are free to borrow.