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43 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 29, 2004 New resident drowns on raft trip By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune A former Portland-area man celebrating his weekend move to the Rogue Valley drowned Monday in the upper Rogue River while rafting with his family, authorities said. David G. Hernandez, 38, apparently drowned after falling off a "Ski Biscuit" inner tube and becoming entangled in about 50 feet of rope attached to it, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. Hernandez was rafting with his ex-wife and son, both of whom were in an inflatable kayak, sheriff’s Capt. Joe Puckett said. The 5:15 p.m. accident occurred at a series of rocks and shallow ledges called The Rock Garden adjacent to the Obstinate J Ranch along Highway 62 near milepost 30. Hernandez had moved to the area from Portland this past weekend, Puckett said. Advertisement Family members said Hernandez was wearing a life jacket while floating downstream on the Sea Biscuit, an inner tube designed to be pulled behind a ski boat, Puckett said. His family was downstream of him when he encountered difficulties in the Rock Garden and eventually fell off the inner tube and became entangled in the rope, Puckett said. "Initially in our investigation, it looks like the rope was a big difficulty for him," Puckett said. The family members knew Hernandez was having trouble, but they had rounded a curve and they told investigators that they did not witness the accident, Puckett said. Anglers in a driftboat attempted to aid Hernandez, but they were unsuccessful in the rocky and shallow rapid, Puckett said. A rescue boat from Jackson County Fire District No. 4 was launched, and Hernandez’s body was recovered about 40 minutes after the accident, he said. District medical technicians and Mercy Flights ambulance technicians spent several minutes trying to revive him, Puckett said. Hernandez’s body was found without a life jacket and his feet were pointing upstream, leaving Puckett — a former marine deputy — to say it is very possible that the downstream force of the water stripped off his jacket. Alcohol was not believed to be a factor in the drowning, Puckett said. The accident remained under investigation Monday. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers