2 rafters missing, presumed drowned in frigid Clackamas River

Officials are warning the public of the dangers of the swift and cold Clackamas River after two rafters disappeared Friday and were still missing Sunday.

According to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, a 61-year-old man said he and two other men were trying to cross the river by raft to Austin Hot Springs when their raft flipped. All of the men were washed down the river. The 61-year-old made it to shore but couldn’t find the other men. Sheriff’s officials described him as the “lone survivor.”

The missing men are brothers, ages 66 and 67, sheriff’s officials said.

Austin Hot Springs is private property, and sheriff’s officials say the public should not try to visit it. It’s located about 30-miles southeast of Estacada, when the most direct route is open to vehicular traffic. Currently, it’s a 50-mile drive from town.

Clackamas County Search and Rescue located the men’s car on a U.S. Forest Service road Friday. Searchers looked for the men, continuing even after nightfall, but were hampered by the high volume of fast-moving water in the river.

The search continued Saturday with help from Clackamas County Search and Rescue volunteers, Mountain Wave Search and Rescue, the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office aircraft and drones, but the men weren’t found.

— Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com

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