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Submerged pickup causes boater hazard The Jackson County Sheriff's Department is warning boaters about a pickup submerged in the Rogue River near the Rock Point Bridge. [Photo from sheriff's department Facebook page] Wednesday Jul 19, 2017 at 10:30 AM Jul 19, 2017 at 4:37 PM Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune @RyanPfeil Boaters on the Rogue River are advised to watch out for a sunken vehicle in the middle of the river near the Rock Point Bridge in Gold Hill. The vehicle appears to be a pickup that has been underwater for years, Jackson County sheriff's officials say. Before it plunged to the bottom of the river, the pickup had been abandoned on a small island, entangled in heavy vegetation. Last winter's wet weather caused it to move, however. "That truck has actually been there for probably 20 years," Sgt. Shawn Richards of the sheriff department's Search & Rescue team said. "During the high water, it washed out of the island and went downstream a little bit." Rock Point Bridge passes over the river near the intersection of North River Road and Highway 99 and is an access point for motorists heading to Del Rio Vineyards and Rock Point Cemetery. Richards said several other abandoned vehicles sit in secluded spots along the river. "In the old days, there was no obligation to remove (them)," Richards said. "Obviously, that’s changed." Officials said the pickup cannot be pulled out until water levels drop and the current slows. Marine Patrol deputies have marked the hazard with a buoy, but they cautioned that the tethering rope could be severed by the vehicle's sharp edges. "We’re hoping that’ll hold out until we can get in there," Richards said. "There’s so much current in there, it’s going to be near impossible." — Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected]. Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil.