Damned tragic happening in a nearby town

[pwd72s]

A warning to those not used to high water conditions...if you can't see painted lines through the water, don't drive there!

Identities in creek fatality released

[pwd72s]

Identities in creek fatality released
StoryDiscussionIdentities in creek fatality released
Democrat-Herald democratherald.com | Posted: Thursday, January 19, 2012 8:00 am | (37) Comments

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Albany firefighters search Periwinkle Creek after a car with a man and two children was swept into the swollen Creek. (Mark Ylen/Democrat-Herald)

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Car plunges into Periwinkle Creek.Boy in critical condition at Portland hospital; recovery effort to continue

The Albany Police Department has released the names of four people in a car swept into Periwinkle Creek on Wednesday evening. Recovery efforts are continuing this morning to find the fourth person.

Christopher Wilgus and his son Maliki, 5, were rescued from the vehicle shortly after it was carried downstream just after 7 p.m. Wednesday. About 1 a.m. Thursday, the body of Aiden McLaughlin, 20 months, was recovered several hundred yards downstream.

Linn County sheriff’s deputies were searching this morning for the fourth person believed to be in the vehicle, Aiden’s mother, Catherine McLaughlin, 18.

Maliki was listed in critical condition this morning in the pediatric intensive care unit of Oregon Health and Sciences University Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland. Christopher was treated at Samaritan Albany General Hospital last night and released.

Search and rescue agencies have received conflicting reports about the number of people in the vehicle, said Wanda Omdahl, spokeswoman for the Albany Fire Department. Deputies will be on the lookout for others, but at this point believe McLaughlin was the only other passenger.

Omdahl said deputies planned to walk the creek banks from Geary to Salem Avenue but did not plan to get in the water at this time until conditions are safer.

A witness called 911 around 7:10 p.m. Wednesday after seeing a dark-colored Buick sedan drive across the parking lot at Megafoods toward Geary, into high water and get swept into the creek that runs between the parking lot and Geary Street.

Maliki was pulled from the water around 7:30 p.m. and his father was pulled out shortly thereafter.

They were found on the downstream side where the culvert carrying the creek emerges on the north side of Queen Avenue.

Meanwhile a search of the creek all the way to Bowman Park on the Willamette River continued until around 9 p.m., when it was called off to be renewed this morning.

The car itself had not yet been found.

Several streets were closed because of the accident and the rescue operation. By about 10 o’clock they had been reopened.

The Albany police and fire departments and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office all responded.

Periwinkle Creek is a normally slow-moving channel that crosses underneath the intersection of Queen and Geary. Wednesday night it was a raging torrent with the water nearly level with the street.

Initial reports said the vehicle in the creek was involved in a collision, but both the Albany Fire Department and the Albany Police Department said their investigations so far indicate only that the car made a turn into the west end of the parking lot and was swept into the creek.

[Laneco]

We're going to have alot of weather related incidents around here, Paul... Seems like when the weather is dry/mild for a long time, and then breaks loose all at once, that people take some unfortunate risks.

Steve is over in Coos Bay (for you other Pelicans - that's the Oregon Coast). I told him to log on to TRIPCHECK before he heads home tomorrow as several routes between the interior and the coast are already closed due to flooding, slides, and tree fall.

Been bone-dry for months. Now it probably won't stop raining until May.

angela

[pwd72s]

Angela..yep...the alsea highway is closed because of a slide...101 south of Newport one lane only because of a slide, I'm sure there are more I haven't heard of..

[LWJ]

I chose to drive my 3/4 ton suburban to work over the SC today. Standing water 3 - 4 inches in places on HILLS. Floods all over the place. Trees down. Cats and Dogs living together. Crazy.

Then. After I plowed through the traffic, I get solidly rear-ended a few blocks from the office. I am writing this in bed waiting to see the Doc.

Yep. Bad weather out here.
Larry

[willtel]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Then. After I plowed through the traffic, I get solidly rear-ended a few blocks from the office. I am writing this in bed waiting to see the Doc.
Larry

Well that sucks! I know it wouldn't have happened the same way but I'm sure the 'burb took it way better than the SC would have. Get well.

[RWebb]

I hope it DOES stop by May (!)

BTW - they have evacuated Mapleton (for you non-Oreygonians - that is 10 miles up the Siletz River estuary, near but not on the coast)