Majiah Washington, 18, rescued a 9-month-old baby after his father, mother and a teenager made contact with the downed power line and died on Wednesday. Jan. 20, 2024.
PORTLAND, Ore. – First responders in Portland hailed an 18-year-old woman as a hero for rescuing a 9-month-old baby after his father, mother and a teenager were electrocuted while making contact with a downed power line during an ice storm on Wednesday.
A large tree branch fell across a live power line, pulling it down across an SUV Wednesday morning as much of northwestern Oregon was amid a days-long bout with freezing rain.
DEADLY CROSS-COUNTRY WINTER STORM BLANKETS NORTHWEST AS ICE CRIPPLES REGION
Portland Fire and Rescue officials originally reported that the three victims were inside the SUV when the power line fell and were electrocuted when they left the vehicle. But after speaking with witnesses, spokesperson Rick Graves said their initial reports were incorrect.
Instead, at the time of the tree fall, the father was loading the baby into the SUV, reported FOX 12 Oregon.
The family’s SUV, with a broken tree branch on it.
(FOX 12 Oregon / FOX Weather)
Majiah Washington, 18, said during a press conference Friday she was in a nearby home when she heard an explosion and looked out the window to see the tree branch down and the power line draped across the SUV.
As the baby’s mother screamed to get the child out the car to safety, Washington said the father then pulled the baby out of the vehicle, but ended up slipping and falling as he walked up an ice-coated driveway. The bottom of his foot then touched the live wire, causing him to be electrocuted.
She added that the baby’s mother rushed over to help him and her baby, but slipped too and made contact with the wire.
“I’m on the phone with 911, and I’m explaining to them what’s going on,” Washington said. “And then the teenager ran past me, and he slipped as he was on his way down there to assist with the situation and fell forward, and his foot touches the (power) line.”
Amid the unfolding chaos, Washington noticed that the baby was still alive.
“The baby moved his head, and that’s how I knew he was still here,” she said. “So I crouched down and I kind of slid; I used my hands to break my fall and I didn’t land on top of his father but my hands landed on top of him, and I just grabbed the baby… and I walked him up the hill to hand him to someone who could check on him.”
HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER
Graves praised Washington’s bravery in risking her own life to save the baby.
“What a humble individual,” Graves said after Washington shared her story. “Don’t we need more Majiah Washington’s out there? The scene that she was within and responded to… was very heightened — there was a lot of emotions going on and this calm individual in our community came out and made a huge difference.”
None of the victims have been officially identified, though FOX 12 Oregon reported the teen victim was a sophomore at a nearby high school.
A special weather statement was issued by the National Weather Service on Saturday at 11:39 p.m. until Sunday at 4 a.m. for North Central Oregon and Central Oregon.
“Patchy dense fog will reduce visibilities to one quarter of a mile or less in the city of Bend and portions of US-97, US-197, and US-20. If you are driving, slow down, use low beam headlights and allow for extra space between your vehicle and those around you,” according to the weather service.
When Emily Purry casually asked her surf guide how far off she might be from competing, she never expected his answer would catapult her onto Team USA within weeks. On a recent episode of the Peak Northwest podcast, Purry shared the whirlwind journey that transformed her from a beginner blind adaptive surfer to an international competitor representing Oregon on the world stage.
“It was quite the whirlwind. Honestly, nothing that I expected or really even thought could happen,” Purry, who goes by “Strong Sightless Surfer” on Instagram, told host Chiara Profenna. “I’ve been surfing for a very short time. I’m very new to the sport.”
That conversation with her guide quickly escalated from hypothetical to actionable. When he suggested she could compete immediately, Purry discovered she needed to enter a competition before Team USA tryouts, leaving her with just two options: Hawaii the following week or Japan in three weeks.
Despite being a novice surfer who had progressively lost her sight to Stargardt’s macular degeneration, she made a decision that would intimidate even seasoned travelers: “As weird as it sounds, I think I can pull off Japan. And so, I flew to Japan independently. It was my first time flying internationally by myself.”
The logistics were daunting. In rapid succession, Purry had to purchase her first surfboard, navigate international travel alone, and trust strangers in a foreign country where communication was difficult. “I had to meet people I’d never seen before in my life. I talked to one of them on the phone once,” she explained, detailing how she was picked up by a Japanese man whose English was limited.
Despite these challenges, Purry not only competed in Japan but returned home and, just eight days later, successfully tried out for Team USA.
For Purry, this journey represents far more than athletic achievement.
“It started to bring my confidence back as far as who was I, who I used to be, and how much I missed me as a human being,” Purry shared, highlighting the deep connection between physical activity and sense of self.
Purry spoke on the podcast as she was preparing for the ISA (International Surfing Association) World Competition in Oceanside, California, held Nov. 2–7.
“I definitely want to win,” she shared on the podcast, revealing the competitive spirit that propelled her from that first casual conversation to the international stage in mere weeks. In Oceanside, Purry went on to help Team USA secure the silver medal at the ISA World Championships.
Listen to the full episode here:
Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive’s travel and outdoors podcast Peak Northwest on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or anywhere else you listen to podcasts. Hosts Jamie Hale and Chiara Profenna take you to some of the greatest destinations in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Check out more Peak Northwest episodes below.
We’re at the final week of Oregon high school football and the Class 3A state tournament all comes down to No. 1 Cascade Christian (12-0) and No. 3 Burns (11-1).
Here is a breakdown of Saturday’s Class 3A state championship game, which will take place at 4:30 p.m. at Summit High School in Bend.
Last meeting: Burns won 46-19 in Week 3 of the 2014 season.
Quick fact: Cascade Christian is vying to become the first team to give up zero points en route to a state title since Regis won the Class A championship in 1973.
Road to the final: Def. Phoenix 54-7 (first round), Vale 32-20 (quarterfinals), Banks 36-31 (semifinals)
Last state championship: 2024 (second)
Last state final: 2024 (fifth appearance)
Coach: Matt Bruck, third season (28-14)
Offensive leaders: QB Jack Wright, sr. (144-246-3-2445, 40 TDs pass; 88-491-12 rush); RB Tommy Winn, sr. (139-943-9); WR Coltin Miller, sr. (79-1505-21); WR Preston Hill, sr. (31-471-7); TE Cannon Kemper, jr. (19-342-8)
Defensive leaders: LB Jasper SkunkCap, jr. (73 tackles, 15 for loss); DL Joe Weil, sr. (68 tackles, 28 for loss, 11.5 sacks); LB Kemper (69 tackles, 10.5 for loss, 5.5 sacks); LB Colter Handley, soph. (56 tackles, 5 for loss); DL Ben Chamberlain, jr. (13 tackles for loss)
Lighthearted moment: Several weeks ago, the team played a game of “blob tag,” which requires teammates to remain attached by holding hands or interlocking arms, and as they tag players and attach them to the blob, it breaks off to form new blobs. Who started as the blob? Two of their biggest linemen — Weil and classmate Wesley Graham — trying to chase down their quicker teammates, which Bruck said was a funny sight.
Secret weapon: Weil also rated a mention as the leader of the Hilanders’ offensive and defensive lines.
“On the offensive side of the ball, they create gaps for Tommy and Jack to run through as well as protect Jack,” Challengers coach Jon Gettman said. “On defense, they just shut down a Banks team that had run the ball really well all season. They are a very physical, well-coached team that puts a lot of pressure on you.”
Road to the final: Def. Pleasant Hill 68-0 (first round), North Valley 48-0 (quarterfinals), Gervais 36-0 (semifinals)
Last state championship: 2023 (fifth)
Last state final: 2023 (eighth appearance)
Coach: Jon Gettman, 16th season (155-32)
Offensive leaders: QB Deryk Farmer, sr. (89-147-4-1556, 16 TDs pass; 64-682-11 rush); RB Bryson Walker, jr. (89-986-27); WR Caleb Scaglione, sr. (38-563-7); WR Mikey Covey, soph. (11-353-2); WR Caleb Parker, sr. (15-335-3)
Defensive leaders: LB Covey (63 tackles, 14 for loss, 3.5 sacks, 11 hurries); LB Wyatt Hurley, jr. (59 tackles, 6 for loss); LB Walker (58 tackles); DE Alex Fiannaca, sr. (53 tackles, 11.5 for loss); LB Seth Scaglione, jr. (44 tackles, 10 for loss, 4.5 sacks); DE Austin Cook, jr. (9.5 tackles for loss)
Lighthearted moment: One night before the season kicked off, Gettman invited all the players and their fathers to gather for a night of worship and prayer along with a talk from guest speaker Brandon Boice, a former Oregon State player. It was such a success that Gettman held another session during their Week 7 bye.
“We spend so much time and effort on the gridiron,” Gettman said. “But the greatest blessing is seeing these young men grow up and be leaders in the community. So, taking a break from the season and just being able to speak to the weightier things of life is what I’m thankful for.”
Secret weapon: Bruck pointed to their big three of Farmer, Walker and Caleb Scaglione, “but everything has to run through their quarterback,” he said. “But really, you have to pay equal attention to their trio.”
— René Ferrán is a freelance reporter for The Oregonian/Oregon Live. René grew up in Portland and has written about high school sports in the Pacific Northwest since 1993, with his work featured at the Idaho Press Tribune, Tri-City Herald, Seattle Times, Tacoma News Tribune, The Columbian and High School on SI. He can be reached at rferran.oregonianhssports@gmail.com
Washington state resident dies of new H5N5 form of bird flu
Struggling Six Flags names new CEO. What does that mean for Knott’s and Magic Mountain?
Rep. Swalwell’s suit alleges abuse of power, adds to scrutiny of Trump official’s mortgage probes
Snow set to surge across Northeast Ohio, threatening Thanksgiving travel
Alabama teacher arrested, fired after alleged beating of son captured on camera
Analysis: Why Democrats are warning about Trump giving illegal orders | CNN Politics
New scam sends fake Microsoft 365 login pages
Former Google chief accused of spying on employees through account ‘backdoor’
