Kayaker drowns in Upper Rogue
Jul. 15—A 49-year-old California man drowned Thursday in a kayaking accident on the upper Rogue River outside Trail.
The man reportedly overturned at about 1:10 p.m. after his rented inflatable kayak rolled in the "Slide Hole" rapid upriver from Shady Cove and just downriver from Casey State Park, according to Jackson County Sheriff's Office spokesman Aaron Lewis.
Police do not plan to release the victim's name, Lewis said in an email Friday afternoon.
The man was not wearing a life jacket, according to police. Other rafters tried to throw the man a life jacket but didn't succeed.
Jackson County Fire District No. 4 firefighters found the man unconscious downriver, where they attempted to revive him with CPR. Mercy Flights paramedics transported the man to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The sheriff's office said the Rogue River is running swift and cold and reminded boaters and paddlers to always wear life jackets.
