Lane County deputy jumps into river to save woman

LANE COUNTY, Ore. – An Oregon deputy likely saved a woman’s life after she was separated from her inner tube while floating on the Willamette River.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office said on the afternoon of August 3, Deputy Codey Crawford was conducting a traffic stop when he got a report of a woman in distress nearby in the river.

The woman was reportedly floating on the river when her inner tube overturned. Deputy Crawford found her clinging to a downed tree in the fast-moving current, struggling to keep her head above water.

Deputy Crawford assessed the situation and decided to take immediate action before backup arrived.

The sheriff’s office said grabbed a life jacket and a rope and jumped into the river. Before he was able to reach the woman, she lost hold of the log she was clinging to and was briefly swept underwater before resurfacing.

Luckily, the woman was able to make it to the far side of the river. Deputy Crawford wasn’t far behind and stayed with the woman while they waited for a rescue boat to take them to the other side.

“We are thankful that the woman alerted Deputy Crawford to where she was so he could assist,” the Lane County Sheriff’s Office said. “Had she not resurfaced, Deputy Crawford was already in the water and would have been able to get to her faster in that position than from the shoreline.”