DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. — Responding to swimmers in difficulty on the North Umpqua River on Saturday, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) deputies attended to two incidents: 33-year-old Andrea Norton of Myrtle Creek was injured and couldn’t return to shore, and, in a separate incident, 50-year-old Jonathon Vasquez of Mapleton, Oregon, tragically drowned.

2 Weekend Rescues On North Umpqua River

The first incident occurred around 2:00 PM near Baker Wayside. Norton, who was enjoying a day with her family by the river, ventured into the current. She was swept downstream to the opposite side of the river, where she slipped on the rocky shoreline, sustaining an ankle injury.

Because Norton’s injury rendered her unable to bear her own weight in the swift currents and nearby rapids, she was str

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