Danger's Landing

Reported By: Evania Garlinghouse

Photo Courtesy: @tastenewberg on instagram

        Rogers Landing is a very popular hangout for students at George Fox University (GFU). It is a short drive from campus, and it is connected to the beautiful Willamette River. The park has picnic tables and a dock which stretches out over the water. Many people fish off the dock, or sit on it to talk on a warm sunny day. 

        While Rogers Landing is a convenient place for GFU students to hang out in nature, not everyone is aware of the dangers of this place, and it's important to be careful when visiting it. 

        Swimming at the Roger’s Landing dock is prohibited, but some students disregard this warning. This is very dangerous. For one thing, the water in the river is always very cold, even in the summer. That can present a shock to the body. The Willamette River’s strong undercurrent is another dangerous aspect to Rogers Landing; it has been known to sweep unsuspecting swimmers away. 

        "[There] has been a couple of incidents of kids being swept away by the current," stated Capt. Chris Ray of the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office in a Newberg Graphic article. Not everyone is aware that the seemingly peaceful river has such a strong undercurrent, but it is something to keep in mind while visiting the park.  

        Eighteen-year-old Wesley J. Warmoth died in this river a couple of years ago. He was swimming near Rogers Landing without a life vest. Police found that he had not jumped off the dock at Rogers Landing, but that he had been swimming through a different entrance to the river. It's possible that he entered it through the aforementioned popular swimming area some GFU students use near the landing. 

        The main way to stay safe around Rogers Landing is to heed the signage and simply not go swimming. The water is very cold and has a strong and deadly undercurrent. So while Rogers Landing is a great place to hang out and to be around nature, it is not a great place to get in the water.