Tigard river rafters will now have free access to life jackets, thanks to the Tualatin River Keepers, the Nautical Safety Foundation and Eagle Scout Troop 419, who have made the rafting essential publicly available at Cook Park.
The “loaner station,” which stands at about eight feet tall and is stocked with 12 Coast Guard-approved life jackets, was constructed by Eagle Scout Gabe Robbins along with four other scouts from Troop 419.
When the kiosk was officially set up by Tualatin River Keepers Program Manager Mark Fitzsimons on Sept. 1, members of Tigard city staff, the Tigard Rotary Club and Tigard City Council member Faraz Ghoddusi came out to the site to acknowledge the new utility.
“We’re very excited,” Ghoddusi told Tigard Life. “Not just with the opening of the new ramp, which increases accessibility to the river, but then also increasing the safety for everyone who’s coming out.”
The jacket kiosk is unique to Tigard, but by no means the first of its kind. Other public life jacket libraries have been implemented at nearby access points like the Farmington Paddle Launch and at Rood Bridge Park in Hillsboro.
Tualatin River Keepers ask life jacket borrowers to return their rentals and use the kiosk map on the State of Oregon’s website (tigardlife.com/go/life-jacket) to find other kiosks.
Fitzsimons told Tigard Life that installing more kiosks was a key objective for the River Keepers and said that their eyes were already set on launches in West Linn, Tualatin and King City.
“This is the prime area access, as far as use goes, to a national water trail,” Fitzsimons said. “I think eventually use will spread out, someday King City. We’ve been working off and on with King City. They’ve gotten several grants and in their own words have said, ‘We’re gonna have what Cook Park has over here.’”
Fitzsimons said that in the meantime, the Tualatin River Keepers hope to organize a cadre of volunteers that will help keep the loaner station fully stocked during river season, as well as transport it to higher ground (water levels at Cook Park regularly rise to where the kiosk is currently placed) in the off-season.
“We’ve already got volunteers that are out procuring life jackets,” Fitzsimons said.
Fitzsimons was also working on acquiring new signage for the station, which he said would be bilingual and prominently placed so paddlers could easily identify the station’s purpose.
U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets can be donated to the Nautical Safety Foundation. Donation information is available on their website (www.nsf-nw.org/donate).
