Turner man drowns after canoe flips in Santiam River

A Turner man drowned Saturday afternoon on the North Santiam River after his canoe became tangled in a log jam and capsized.

According to the Linn County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded at 2 p.m. Saturday to a spot on the river near the Buell-Miller boat launch, located between Jefferson and Stayton.

Michael Gilpin, 60, of Turner, was in a canoe on the river with a woman when the canoe became jammed in a part of the river with a lot of debris that makes the area treacherous, said Sgt. Flint LeBard with the Linn County Sheriff's Office. The canoe flipped and became wedged underneath a log.

The woman, whose name was not released, was able to escape from beneath the canoe. She was not injured in the incident.

But Gilpin was trapped beneath the canoe and drowned. His body was recovered downriver with the help of boaters in the area.

"That's the second in this past week, where we've had someone in trouble in that same area," LeBard said. "That stretch of river, if you're not somewhat experienced or familiar with it, does have some nasty spots in it. Really bad areas of debris and snag."

Both were wearing life jackets; LeBard said Gilpin's life jacket was evidently not buckled.