Marine Law Enforcement training on Rogue River

Rogue River, Ore. — Marine deputies from 32 counties across the state are in Southern Oregon this week honing their rescue skills on the rogue river.

In the rapids of the Rogue River this week, you’ll find law enforcement from all over the state training for marine patrol.

“You have a lot of new marine deputies and lot of new marine patrol people that haven’t really rode a boat yet, and they don’t really understand how to read white water,” Sergeant Ernie Fields said.

The Rogue River has been their classroom for the last few years as it offers a great selection of areas from easy, to more challenging.

Each day of the 5-day training is supposed to get progressively more difficult .

For their first day of training, marine law enforcement are learning how to swim within the current, and how to rescue themselves from the water.

Later this week, marine deputies will be learning how to row and read white water by using a drift boat.

“The shape of the boat actually allows you to be out in the current, and row against the current, and stay in one place,” Sergeant Fields said.

Sergeant Ernie Fields with Josephine County Sheriff’s Office says the training is necessary every year as techniques are constantly changing, and the skills would go away if they weren’t practiced.

“This is a perishable skill. So ya know, some of these guys if they don’t go back home and use this all the time, it gets a little more difficult to remember how to do it,” Sergeant Fields said.

Whether someone is drowning, stranded, or losing control of their boat, the Oregon State Marine Board says this training gives law enforcement the tools necessary to rescue anyone in whatever circumstance it may be.

“They need to get to a situation efficiently and as quick as they possibly can to save a life. So our biggest goal is how can they get out there to save a life, with their safety in mind,” Oregon State Marine Board’s Ed Persichetti said.

The training will last until this Friday, with their last day in Josephine County to battle even more intense rapids.

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