A chilling incident on the Tualatin River saw a woman's life hanging in the balance after a kayaking accident near Meriwether National Golf Club. The incident, which unfolded on Sunday afternoon, January 12, involved the woman suffering a medical emergency caused by the cold after she fell out of her kayak. According to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, deputies were dispatched around 2:30 p.m. following a welfare check for the kayaker.
The kayaker, accompanied by friends, collided with a tree before taking an unexpected plunge into the river. After being helped to the riverbank, her condition proceeded to worsen. Deputies faced a daunting challenge locating the group, who were marooned on an obscured bank near the 18th hole of the golf course. They relied on the GPS markers from their body cameras to navigate the dense brush concealing the riverside, as reported by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
To help quickly, one deputy used a kayak to cross the river and assist, while another cleared a path with a machete for medical teams to reach the woman. Thanks to their efforts, the woman was safely taken to a hospital to recover. The Washington County Sheriff's Office thanked the caller, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Hillsboro Fire, and American Medical Response for their role in saving her life.
