On Sunday March 24, 2019, the Curry County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a person in distress in the Rogue River near Jim Hunt Creek about five miles east of Gold Beach. The limited information at the time was that two male subjects were testing out a pair of jet skis when one subject went under water. Patrol and Marine Deputies, Search and Rescue, Oregon State Police, Gold Beach and Cedar Valley North Bank Fire Departments were dispatched to the scene.
First Responders arrived and quickly learned that thirty-seven year old Jason James of Gold Beach had been on one of two jet skis that were being test driven and that he was attempting to aid twenty-five year old Thomas Morris of Gold Beach whose ski had quit running in the middle of the river. Witnesses say that James’s ski flipped over while trying to help Morris and James went under the water. A by-stander tried to swim out to James but was unable to get to him, making it three people in the water. It was reported that none of the three people had life vests on.
Two members of the Cedar Valley/North Bank Fire Department who live across the river witnessed the event and paddled their Kayaks over and were able to assist two of the three people back to shore. Jason James had gone under water in the current and disappeared.
Sheriff’s Search and Rescue put two divers in the water while several boats and a Gold Beach Fire crew with a jet ski scoured the area James was last seen. Deputies and Fire crews were staged alongside both sides of the river and Cal Ore Life Flight Air Reach helicopter combed the area from the air. A SAR member in his private boat used sonar scan to search the river bottom but by late evening, crews suspended the search due to poor light.
On Monday March 25, 2019, the search for Jason James continued during rainy overcast weather. Search crews were not able to locate any sign of Jason James.
On Tuesday March 26, 2019, search crews again were looking for James under better weather. A drone was flown over the area while crews were in boats and on Jet Ski’s. A private plane flew the area until Cal Ore Life Flight Reach Air helicopter arrived and flew the entire river system from the point James was last seen to the mouth of the Rogue and along the beach. As of this report, the body of Jason James still remains missing.
This is a heartbreaking ordeal that affects our entire community and beyond. Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Jason James and we hope that we will be able to find Jason so the family can have some closure.
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