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GRANTS PASS Loaner life jackets disappearing in Grants Pass Comment By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jun. 2, 2015 at 4:44 PM By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jun. 2, 2015 at 4:44 PM » Social News Life jackets have been disappearing from the newly installed life jacket loaner stations at Chinook Park and Baker Park in Grants Pass. Cole Tidwell, president of Middle Rogue Steelheaders, the group that installed the station at Chinook Park last Thursday, said about half of the life jackets that were hung up there are already gone. "We put up 11 on the station, and we're down to five," he said. He thinks that perhaps some boaters wore them down the river and never brought them back. He wishes the people who have them would at least call. "We have our logo and we have our phone number on them," Tidwell said. Two life jackets have also been taken from a station that was installed May 11 at Baker Park by members of the Grants Pass Police Association. "The first weekend we had the station open, we had one life jacket stolen," said Jennifer Souza, a Grants Pass Department of Public Safety community service officer who was involved in the project. "That one still hasn't been recovered." The second one was taken over the weekend by a girl who Souza said planned to sell it at the Boatnik carnival, even though it is stamped with the police association's logo. She was intercepted, and the life jacket was returned. Andrew Giesemann, a member of the Grants Pass Active Club and a local Caveman known as "Rising Buck," said his brother was visiting from out of town and happened to be at Baker Park when the girl took the life jacket. Alarmed, he called 911. Souza encourages members of the public to report it if they see someone taking a life vest for the wrong reasons. "I would just ask that people keep their eyes open if they hear of them being taken or misused," she said. She said there eight life jackets at the Baker Park station — two for infants and six for older children. The one that disappeared has been replaced. The idea for the life-jacket stations came about after the July 2014 drowning of 7-year-old Dakota Vincent at Baker Park. Dakota was swept away by the current as he was wading in the water with his sisters. He was not wearing a life vest. Souza said she was pleased to see families using the life jackets at Baker Park for their children over the weekend. "It just warms my heart, I love it so much," she said. Chelsey McCarthy said her 8-year-old son, Cameron, and 10-year-old stepson, Isaiah, used the life jackets during a visit to Baker Park Sunday. "We've been down there almost every day that the weather's been nice," she said. She said many park visitors seemed to not notice the loaner station, which is near the parking lot. "I'm really surprised how many locals do not know about the free life jackets for youths," McCarthy said. She pointed them out to a few people, and said she thinks they are "awesome." Reach reporter Melissa McRobbie at 541-474-3806 or [email protected] By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jun. 2, 2015 at 4:44 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » 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. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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