August 5, 2025 2:00 p.m. 

Two separate rescue incidents on the North Umpqua River had very different outcomes on Saturday.

A Douglas County Sheriff’s Office report released on Wednesday said the first incident occurred around 2:00 p.m. near Baker Wayside. 33-year-old Andrea Norton of Myrtle Creek and her family were spending the day by the river. Norton ventured into the current and was swept downstream to the opposite side of the river. There she sustained an ankle injury after slipping on the rocky shoreline. Unable to bear her own weight, Norton was stranded due to swift currents and nearby rapids.

Deputies along with the Glide Fire Department, Central Douglas Fire & Rescue, and Umpqua Valley Ambulance responded to the incident. CDF&R deployed a raft and successfully retrieved Norton, returning her safely to the shore.

Just after 5:00 p.m. dispatchers received a call reporting a possible drowning in the Swiftwater area along Highway 138E. Some emergency responders diverted from the initial incident to respond to this rescue.

Deputies learned that 50-year-old Jonathon Vasquez of Mapleton, had been swimming in the river when he went underwater and did not resurface. Vasquez’s body was later recovered by rescue personnel, and he was pronounced deceased at the scene. Sheriff John Hanlin expressed condolences to the man’s family.

The release said the Sheriff’s Office extends gratitude to all emergency responders and agencies involved in these incidents.