How many boating deaths did Oregon see in 2023? Stats, what we know
The number of people killed in boating incidents on Oregon waterways declined for a third year in a row, according to data from the Oregon State Marine Board.
A total of 16 fatalities took place in 2023, including 14 on private boating trips and two on commercial or guided trips.
The decline came after the pandemic-fueled outdoor boom brought a record-high 27 boating deaths in 2020, following by a historically high 25 in 2021 and 20 in 2022.
"Though Oregon has had three straight years of declines we strive for zero boating fatalities," said Brian Paulsen, boating safety program manager for the OSMB.
In 2023, six fatalities involved motorized boats while another nine involved non-motorized boats such as rafts, kayaks and canoes. One involved an auxiliary sailboat.
This count does not include accidents involving small inner tubes or other "pool toy" devices that aren't classified as boats.
The types of incidents varied considerably. Eight people drowned due to capsizing, one fell overboard and one person slipped off rocks while trying to free their raft, according to incident reports.
Not wearing a life jacket continued to be the most common factor in fatalities. In 12 of 16 cases, victims were not wearing a life jacket. In two of the cases where people were wearing a lifejacket, one wore an inflatable life jacket that malfunctioned, and another person was pushed by swift water into a rock strainer.The other two had life jackets but suffered a "medical emergency" when their boats flipped.
“Everyone needs to be prepared, no matter where they are boating or how long they’ve been a boater,” Paulsen said. “Accidents are unpredictable, so wearing a life jacket will increase your odds of survival when the unexpected happens.”
One bright spot, Paulsen said, was there were no deaths on stand-up paddleboards, which had been an emphasis for the marine board following an average of two SUP deaths each of the past three years.
"One of our agencies initiatives for 2023 was amplifying safety messaging around stand up paddleboarding, specifically focusing on life jacket wear and leash education," Paulsen said.
Rogue River continues to see high death rate
For the second year in a row, southern Oregon's Rogue River saw a number of fatal boating incidents. Three people died on the river in both 2022 and 2023.
In 2023, two people who were on commercial rafting or kayaking trips were flipped out of their boat and suffered "medical emergencies." In the other incident, a man who was attempting to free his raft from rocks in Wildcat Rapids slipped into the river and was pinned underwater.
The Columbia River also technically had two fatalities, but two of those were caused at the same time by carbon monoxide poisoning in the cabin of a boat.
Deaths bring heartache
Even if numbers were down, a look at some of the incidents illustrates the heartache of every boating death.
In July, a man and his two sons were crabbing in Nestucca Bay in a 12-foot boat. While their pots were soaking, the man began "riding swells into the bay" when their boat was flipped by a whitecap wave, knocking all three into the water, the Tillamook Headlight Herald reported. The man's 17-year-old son, who was wearing a life jacket, survived, while the 15 year-old, who was not wearing a flotation device, drowned.
In May, two brothers rafting the upper Clackamas River together — Vladimir Zagreychuk, 65, of Portland, and Vasiliy Zagreychuk, 64, of Gresham — died after their raft flipped. Neither were wearing life jackets.
In July at Triangle Lake near Eugene, a 17-year-old male drowned after he fell out of a canoe.
"An investigation determined he was not wearing a life jacket," the Lane County Sheriff's Office said.
Breakdown of boating deaths
These tables show the breakdown of boating fatalities in Oregon from 2023.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 15 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. Urness is the author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: How many boating deaths did Oregon see in 2023? What we know
