Three Safe After Water Rescue; Fatal Wreck; DUII Enforcement; Latest Park Named; Coronavirus Cases

Three Safe After Water Rescue

Three individuals were rescued from the waters of the pacific yesterday after being caught in a rip tide.  That according to the U.S. Coast Guard.  Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue, Western Lane Ambulance and the Oregon State police all assisted in the rescue.  The incident happened just north of the North Jetty in Florence.  The U.S. Coast Guard report says when they arrived all the individuals were out of the water and being treated.  One individual was taken to Peace Harbor hospital for additional care.  It was also reported that bystanders went into the water to assist the individuals prior to emergency personnel arriving.  The incident happened around 4 pm yesterday.  Officials are reminding everyone of the dangers of being near the ocean.  Never turn your back on it and stay a significant distance from the water.  Even small objects can topple a person.

Fatal Wreck

A wreck on Saturday on highway 101 just south of Florence resulted in the death of one individual.  OSP responded to a 2 vehicle collision near milepost 208 at approximately 7:24 pm.  A volkswagon Rabbit driven by 29 year old Stevie Shuey of Pleasantville California was headed northbound when the vehicle entered the southbound lane and collided with a Hyundai Gensis operated by 69 year old Michael Lindsay of North Bend.  Shuey was transported by life flight to the hospital, Lindsay suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead.  There was a second passenger in the Hyundai, 33 year old Erica Billingslea of Coos Bay.  She was transported to the hospital with injuries, here condition is not known.  OSP is looking for assistance with their investigation for anyone who might have seen the Volkswagon driving irratically.  They are looking at the possibility of a DUII situation.  Citizens are urged to contact the OSP Southern Command Center.  Traffic was delayed several hours.

DUII Enforcement

The Florence Police Department will be participating in an increased enforcement effort for the upcoming 4th of July Holiday.  FPD released the numbers of their Memorial Day enforcement and arrested 5 drivers that were impaired and7 additional citations for driving while suspended along with several warnings for other miscellaneous traffic violations.

Latest Park Named

The City of Florence has officially recognized the newest edition to city parks.  The sign went up for the Exploding Whale Memorial Park over the weekend.  The park is located on Rhododendron Drive adjacent to the city’s water facilities.  The Grand Opening for the park was on May 14th.  856 individuals voted during the city’s campaign with 439 of those votes in favor of commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Exploding Whale.

Coronavirus Cases

101 new cases of the Coronavirus were reported yesterday in Oregon bringing the total number of cases to 5,636.  Most of the new cases were reported in Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington County, but there were also 20 new cases in Marion County.  Two more individuals succumbed to the disease as well.  a 95 year old Multnomah County woman and a 70 year old Washington County woman both died on June 8th.  the 70 year old Washington County woman did not have any known underlying health conditions.  Lane County is reporting 89 total cases with 15,257 tests conducted