Multiple agencies, including the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit, Oregon State Police, American Medical Response, Rural Metro Fire and Grants Pass Fire Rescue, were dispatched to the Rogue River, down river from the Robertson Bridge early Sunday afternoon after calls to 911 reported a boat collision on the Rogue River just after 12:39pm, Sunday afternoon, August 4th.
Initial reports were that a collision, reportedly involving a private jet boat and a tour boat operated by Hellgate Jetboat Excursions, had occurred downstream from Robertson Bridge Boat Ramp.
First Responders converged to triage patients that were involved in the incident as injured parties were being taken to the Hellgate River Lodge by boat to be evaluated by medical personnel and then transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
The private jet boat sank and boaters should use caution navigating through the area and the Hellgate boat reportedly involved in the incident returned to Grants Pass docks to hand off their injured passengers to awaiting Grants Pass Fire personnel for treatment.
All individuals were accounted for and removed safely from the river and a total of 5 people were transported by ground ambulances to an area hospital. Their conditions are unknown at this time at the time of this reporting.
This investigation is still ongoing and there is no further information at this time.
