ALBANY -- A 15-year-old boy whose kayak capsized on the Willamette River is in critical condition after rescuers pulled him from the water and performed CPR.
Chad Berg was kayaking with his father, Geoffrey, and another man, Brian Tidwell, Saturday afternoon near Hyak Park outside Albany when his kayak filled with water and he fell in. Tidwell made it to shore and called 911.
The Benton County Sheriff's Office and Albany Fire Department responded with rescue boats and found the Bergs about six miles downstream from where Chad fell in. He was in the water about an hour before rescuers got to him. His father's kayak also capsized moments before the rescue, but he was unharmed.
The teen was taken to Albany General Hospital and then transported to Oregon Health and Science University, where he remained in critical condition Sunday.
Members of the sheriff's river patrol warned Monday that waterways were running high and dangerous with heavy debris.
"It's really moving hard and lots of debris and it's certainly a danger to anybody, including pedestrians and people on docks. Going into the water this time of year is really going to be a serious event," said Lt. Brett Elliott, with the Multnomah County Sheriff's River Patrol.
