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UPPER ROGUE Grants Pass boy dies after raft capsizes on Rogue River Family attempted Takelma Gorge stretch By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 16, 2015 @ 3:53 pm By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 16, 2015 @ 3:53 pm » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> A Grants Pass boy has died after his family's raft capsized on a narrow section of the Rogue River with dangerous class III and class IV rapids. Brayden Riley Biggs, 4, was on a rafting trip with his parents and extended family on Saturday. The family members were divided among three rafts. Everyone was wearing a life jacket, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. The boy was two weeks shy of his fifth birthday, officials said. The family members started downriver from the Woodruff Bridge campground at about 3 p.m., officials said. The area is located on the upper Rogue River upstream from Prospect and downstream from Union Creek, said Jackson County Sheriff's Office Sergeant Shawn Richards. The first raft carrying Biggs and five others capsized when it entered Takelma Gorge, officials said. "Everyone was tossed out of the raft," Richards said. The gorge is known for producing class III and IV rapids as the river squeezes into a narrow channel through steep, volcanic rock. Reduced snowpack has led to low water flows on the upper Rogue River this summer. Class III rapids have numerous irregular waves, require expertise in maneuvering and often should be scouted ahead of time. Class IV rapids have powerful waves, dangerous rocks, boiling eddies and passages that must be scouted, although they may also be difficult to scout because of terrain, according to the federal Bureau of Land Management. The Rainie Falls drop on the lower Rogue River is one of the area's most well known Class IV rapids, with most rafters avoiding the falls via a side channel. After the raft carrying Biggs capsized, kayakers located the boy about 200 yards downstream. He was unresponsive. Cardio pulmonary resuscitation was performed for more than an hour, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. The area where the raft capsized is remote and rugged with no cell phone service or facilities nearby. A man hiking in the area heard the rafters' calls for help. He ran two-and-a-half miles back to his vehicle, drove to the Prospect Ranger Station and called 911, officials said. At 4:17 p.m., Jackson County Sheriff's Office marine patrol deputies were dispatched to the area. Personnel from Jackson County Fire Districts No. 3 and 4, Medford Interagency Fire, sheriff's office search and rescue and U.S. Forest Service law enforcement also responded, officials said. A helicopter contracted by the Forest Service located the rafters and guided ground personnel to the scene. After hiking into the area, rescuers found the rafters and hiked out with them, officials said. "Unfortunately it's a very remote area and very difficult to get into even by aircraft," Richards said. "It's an absolute tragedy. Our hearts go out to the family." The Jackson County Medical Examiner's Office has responded to the scene. The exact cause of the child's death was not available Sunday. An investigation continues into the accident, Richards said on Sunday. He said the rafters were a private party and were not rafting the river with a commercial guide service. In general, Richards said people should research stretches of river they plan to raft to make sure they have the expertise and equipment needed. "It's a very extreme portion of the river," he said of the Takelma Gorge, noting it is typically attempted by expert-level rafters and hard-shell kayakers. There have been two other rafting fatalities on the Rogue River in Jackson County this season, Richards said. He said the the sheriff's office responds weekly to calls about people in trouble on the river during the rafting season. Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 16, 2015 @ 3:53 pm » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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