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SCOTTSBURG — A father-and-son fishing trip on the Umpqua River ended tragically Wednesday when the boat swamped and the two went into the water, killing the father.
William Frank Rucker, 72, of Coos Bay was dead when he was pulled from the water about five miles east of Scottsburg around 11 a.m., according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
His son, Gary Rucker, 46, of Wilmington, N.C., survived.
The Ruckers put their 1975 12 1/2-foot Olympian fiberglass boat in the water at the Scott Creek Ramp around 10:30 a.m.
A short distance downstream, while navigating some rapids, they experienced problems with the outboard motor, according to the sheriff’s office.
Water came over the edge of the boat, swamping it, and Gary threw a life jacket to his father as they entered the water and began to float downstream.
Neither man had been wearing a life jacket before then. The jackets were lying in the bottom of the boat.
Douglas County Communications received a call around 10:50 a.m. that a man in the river was yelling for help, prompting them to send deputies to the area. The deputies and anglers in three separate boats helped pull the two men from the water.
The U.S. Coast Guard, Reedsport Police Department and Scottsburg Fire Department also assisted with the operation.
William Frank Rucker, 72, of Coos Bay was dead when he was pulled from the water about five miles east of Scottsburg around 11 a.m., according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
His son, Gary Rucker, 46, of Wilmington, N.C., survived.
The Ruckers put their 1975 12 1/2-foot Olympian fiberglass boat in the water at the Scott Creek Ramp around 10:30 a.m.
A short distance downstream, while navigating some rapids, they experienced problems with the outboard motor, according to the sheriff’s office.
Water came over the edge of the boat, swamping it, and Gary threw a life jacket to his father as they entered the water and began to float downstream.
Neither man had been wearing a life jacket before then. The jackets were lying in the bottom of the boat.
Douglas County Communications received a call around 10:50 a.m. that a man in the river was yelling for help, prompting them to send deputies to the area. The deputies and anglers in three separate boats helped pull the two men from the water.
The U.S. Coast Guard, Reedsport Police Department and Scottsburg Fire Department also assisted with the operation.
