Monmouth man dies after his kayak collides with Buena Vista Ferry, traps him underwater
This story was updated at 1 p.m. on Friday
A Monmouth man died Thursday after the kayak he was piloting collided with the Buena Vista Ferry, flipped over and trapped him underwater, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Jacob Anthony Jackson, 50, was floating down the Willamette River when he "experienced a malfunction with the steering mechanism on his vessel and while attempting to fix the issue floated into the path of the ferry as it traveled across the channel," officials said.
Jackson's kayak struck the ferry, overturning his boat and causing him to fall into the water," a news release said. "Mr. Jackson became trapped under the ferry and failed to resurface."
The Linn County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team responded to the location at around 5 p.m. and determined that after Jackson had fallen out of his kayak, his clothing had become entangled in the ferry's propeller, causing him to drown.
The Linn County Dive Team was able to recover Jackson's body.
"During the investigation we learned Mr. Jackson was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident; however, he had one with him on the kayak at the time of the incident," the news release said. "This tragic incident is a good reminder to practice water safety and to wear life jackets when operating both motorized and non-motorized vessels."
The Buena Vista Ferry is closed until further notice, according to Marion County. This page will be updated when the ferry reopens.
The ferry normally is open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. seven days a week, except major holidays and when the river is over 15 feet. It transports between 80 and 120 vehicles per day, according to Marion County public works director Brian Nicholas.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 16 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. 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: Monmouth kayaker dies after colliding with Buena Vista Ferry
