Grants Pass, Ore. –Tragedy strikes a Josephine County family after their seven year-old son drowns under the supervision of his teenage sister.
Seven year old Dakota Vincent was playing with his 5 and 19 year old sisters in the Rogue River at Baker Park in Grants Pass Wednesday night when Dakota and his younger sister got caught in the powerful current.
While the 5 year old girl was pulled to safety, Dakota was swept downstream.Sargent Corey Krauss from Josephine County Search and Rescue said, passersbys tried to help but despite their and search and rescue’s efforts Dakota wasn’t found until nearly 12 hours later.
The young boys lifeless body was found just 50 feet down-river from the Parkway Bridge.
Police say the family had just moved back to the area from out of state and had dropped the kids off and while they were moving stuff.
News of the tragic drowning is striking people hard on the river, particularly this longtime Grants Pass resident who was watching over her young grandson. “I decided not to bring the other one because they like to go in the water,” said Randi Buckel who also says she sees it all the time, children and adults supervised or unattended, who fall victim to the rivers changing waters, “the river has a mind of it’s own. It’s actually taken quite a few people.”
An example of how easily accidents like this can happen – is just up the river from our interview. Three young girls playing in the river with no adults in sight.
Josephine County Sheriff Gil Gilbertson says this accident should be a reminder to all parents, “you gotta keep an eye on these kids. This river is a lot of fun, it draws a lot of people out- it’s a highly popular area but it’s also a treacherous river.”
And for Randi Buckel, the news leaves her heartbroken in many different ways,”it’s really sad for the 19 year old too.”
A tragic nightmare Buckel hopes no child, teenager or adult will ever have to experience.
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