Salem man rescued from island on the Willamette River near Minto-Brown Island Park

A Salem man was rescued overnight Saturday from an island in the Willamette River near Minto-Brown Island Park.

Around 11 p.m., Polk County Marine Patrol officials were called out to the river after callers Casey Campbell and Christina Kazlas heard someone yelling for help just west of river mile 85, upstream from Salem, according to a release from the Polk County Sheriff's Office. 

Campbell and Kazlas, who have been living in a camp along the river, told police the voice faded as time went on. 

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While searching on foot, authorities found a deflated innertube on an island between Minto-Brown and Salem-Dallas Highway milepost 23. Around 2 a.m., they found 50-year-old Brandon D. Weber laying in the grass. 

Officials carried Weber, who was injured and unable to walk, to the rescue boat. Once back at the launch, he was taken to Salem Hospital.

Weber told deputies he is a transient who was living in the area along the river. After an argument around 4 p.m., he decided to float the river. But when his tube lost air, he had to swim to the island.

He was unable to swim back to the north shore of the river because of his leg injury. 

Although temperatures were in the 50s, Weber was not found hypothermic, officials said.

The Polk County Marine Patrol is a seasonal program and recently started operations for the 2019 summer months. It is staffed by reserve deputies who are part of the Polk County Sheriff's Reserve unit.

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Virginia Barreda is the Breaking News Reporter with the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at 503-399-6657 or at vbarreda@statesmanjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.