ODOT worker rescued from Clackamas River

Photos courtesy Clackamas County Sheriff's Department

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Story Published: Nov 3, 2009 at 12:40 PM PST

By Margy Lynch KATU News and KATU.com Staff

CARVER, Ore. - An Oregon Department of Transportation worker was rescued from the Clackamas River on Tuesday. His ODOT maintenance truck remains in the river at press time.

The incident happened around 10 a.m., along the stretch of river that flows through Carver. The truck reportedly left the roadway near milepost 11.6 on Highway 224 - about 1 1/2 miles east of Carver. The truck ended its off-road ride in the Clackamas River.

The operator was rescued with apparent minor injuries, and was taken to Kaiser-Sunnyside Hospital. His name has not been released.

The truck is a F350 one-ton vehicle that was "working as a shadow rig for a spray truck," according to an ODOT press release.

Raw Video From The Scene

It remains unclear how the worker went off the road and ended up in the water. Fortunately, he was able to crawl on top of the vehicle and wait for rescue.

Meanwhile, a HAZMAT crew was dispatched to the scene to try to get the truck out of the river before it begins to leak fluids into the water. The fire department is also at the scene.

A command post for resources and equipment for the in-water work has been set up at the Carver boat ramp and on Highway 224. At press time, crews were readying to lift the truck out of the river with a large tow truck.

Divers are being used to connect the cables from the tow truck to the truck. Also, KATU has been told that booms have been set up around the truck just in case any of the 40 to 50 gallons of diesel leaks into the river.

All photos are courtesy of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Department.

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