Corbett Fire Use AquaEye to Locate Drowning Victim in Swift Sandy River
Using AquaEye to rapidly search the last seen point immediately gave the rescuers the best chance at a rescue.
In July 2022, Corbett Fire Department responded to a tragic drowning incident on the Sandy River—an unpredictable body of water known for its swift currents and soft sandy bottom. A man had gone into the river near Dabney State Park and quickly began to struggle. He disappeared beneath the surface and did not resurface. Within minutes, Corbett and Gresham fire departments, alongside Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and AMR lifeguards, launched a coordinated rescue effort.
Firefighters took rescue boats out into the river, using equipment to scale the steep riverbank in order to access the water. Utilizing their newly acquired AquaEye handheld sonar, Corbett firefighters quickly scanned the area from the last known point and located the submerged victim. The swift location allowed lifeguards to assist and retrieve the man and bring him to shore, where paramedics attempted resuscitation. Tragically, the man was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Department
Corbett Fire Department
Location
Sandy River, near Dabney State Park, Corbett, Oregon
This incident marked the third water-related fatality on the Sandy River that month and highlighted the river’s inherent dangers: steep banks, rocky and uneven bottoms, glacial runoff, and deceptively strong currents.
Corbett Fire purchased AquaEye following a previous summer marked by extended, grueling searches that strained personnel and deeply impacted families. “A short search is a safer search,” said Fire Chief Wunsch, emphasizing that minimizing time in the hazardous river environment protects both responders and potential victims.
Corbett Fire was recently recognized with an Innovative Safety Award—honoring their proactive investment in AquaEye and their community lifejacket program. Chief Wunsch now strongly recommends AquaEye to departments seeking an effective, affordable solution for water search and rescue.
While this mission did not end in survival, the rapid recovery brought closure to the victim’s family and reduced the operational risk to responders—a testament to the value AquaEye brings to first responders facing the unforgiving conditions of swiftwater rescue.
