Family saves 8 children from near drowning in lake
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HAGG LAKE, Ore. -- A family helped save eight children when they nearly drowned in Hagg Lake Saturday afternoon.
Gaston Fire District spokesman Ken Bilderback said the kids, ages 6 to 13, ran into the lake but did not see a steep drop off in the water.
"It's a deceptive drop off. It goes from not very deep to deep without warning," said Bilderback.
They were taken to local hospitals. All of the children are expected to be OK.
Firefighters rushed to the lake, located west of Forest Grove, after a report that the children had possibly drowned.
A family enjoying a reunion at the lake saw what was happening and helped save the children. There was a language barrier, so the rescuers didn't know how many kids were in the water.
"Five or six of them ran into the water to save them and one by one they pulled them out," Bilderback said.
"One of the witnesses told us that she - that the last child found was actually at the bottom of the lake and they didn't know she was there until of the rescuers sort of tripped over her," he said.
None of the kids was wearing life jackets, Bilderback said.
That was my Sister in law's family - my nephew's and niece...I'm very proud of them!
...and Mom & Dad were where, exactly?
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It's plainly obvious that they were not performing the most basic of paternal duties, ensuring the saftey of their own children... So, where were they? Â
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A standing ovation and harty pat on the back to the individuals who were there, and stepped in to help. From what I've read, a couple of the kids actually needed to have CPR performed on them.Â
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If nothing else, I would hope that DHS/Child Protective Services is going to have a long talk with these 'parents'.Â
 @MarkKpic I wouldn't be surprised if they figured the kids would be fine with the 13 year-old since that is an age that is old enough to babysit and such. However, you have to remember the dangers of water and realize a 13 year-old may be fine for watching kids in normal conditions, but not at a lake like that.
 @Jenni S. >' I wouldn't be surprised if they figured the kids would be fine with the 13 year-old since that is an age that is old enough to babysit and such.'
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True. But any responsible (that being the operative term) parent would realize that expecting a 13 year old to watch 1, possibly 2 kids at the lake would be borderline... 7 of them?Â
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Not disparaging your point, at all. I'm just really tired of seeing stories where kids are placed in emminent danger, and sometimes killed, because of paternal irresponsibility.
 @MarkKpic This is nothing! My friend was camping at "Cape Lookout" last year I think? Parents let kid out into ocean with no life jacket BUT one of those killer whale pool toys.... yeah the child died. Infuriating! I just don't understand.
This is the best reason to learn English that I have ever heard.Â
No where does it say anything about the family of these 8 kids. Makes you wonder. Were these kids there alone?
Hagg lake is a flooded area, which was a canyon at one time...so it drops off.
The family or families of the children should be thanking the rescuers for their actions. As there was a possible language barrier on the part of the kids...perhaps they all need to learn English, unless the rescuers did not speak english.
The families should also maybe learn about watching their kids! Some lakes have free use of life jackets for kids, I know at Detroit lake in some areas they have racks of life jackets...in kid sizes. They are there for a reason...to use!
Lucky day for all concerned
correction, believe should be "BE" had an issue with speech recognition in Windows 8
The question is not about whether they should or should not believe there.
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The wheel question, is why were they not wearing their life preservers!
Language barrier?
As in possibly not understaning English...
: 'It goes from not very deep to deep without warning'
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Yes...lakes do that sort of thing. Ignorant parents, watch your children.
Free life jackets at Hagg lake, woo hoo.
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 @HarryJuku I heard that the mud sucked them down and they couldn't pull themselves out from the mud. That is why the people had to form a chain to get them out. That could happen to anyone. A trained swimmer or not. If 8 kids run in the water and fall of the edge and hit the bottom and get stuck in the mud.... you could drown easily.
thanks for the update cptmac11
Up date...
People enjoying a quiet family reunion at Hagg Lake on Saturday afternoon suddenly found themselves rescuing eight children in danger of drowning. The children, ranging in age from 6 to 13, were wading in the lake when they stepped off a steep drop-off formed by the channel of Sain Creek. Hearing the yells from the children and their family, people at the nearby family reunion responded immediately. Those family members included Evan Gibson of Hillsboro and siblings April MacLean and her husband, Lorne, of Hillsboro; Lura Kirby of Virginia; Michelle Rushing of Vancouver, Washington; and nephew Eric MacLean of Hillsboro. Pulling the children out and "passing them up hand to hand to shore," according to Lura Kirby, the family thought all the children were accounted for until the rescued children yelled "one more, one more," and Michelle Rushing stepped on a child at the bottom of the lake. She and her nephew pulled that child to safety as well. The rescuers said that two of the children were not breathing when pulled to shore. Several members of the family know CPR and were prepared to perform it, but both children began breathing again on their own before crews from the Gaston Rural Fire District, Washington County Sheriff's Office and Metro West Ambulance arrived.
 @cptmac11 Kodos to the family who was obviously well trained in life saving techniques and was willing to get involved. These life saving skills are taught by the volunteers and staff at American Red Cross in many of our communities. Perhaps the children involved did not know how to swim. If this is truly the case then I must ask why they were playing in the water in the first place. Teach children about water safety and they will grow into adults who one day may save drowning children themselves.
@cptmac11-- You need to bill KATU for this article.
"This story will be updated..." Need to have a story first before you can update it... Completely lacking any details.. Sad, sad journalism by KATU!
Is anyone watching their kids? Is anyone paying attention to the water?  Or is everyone in a preactive mode? Get a grip on your daily acitivities and the important preople in your lifes. You make me sick.
I can understand a kid being undertaken with the undercurrent, but having 8? PAY ATTENTION PEOPLE!!!!! Let the beer go and pay attention to what is important.
 @what is happening I heard they fell off the edge and got stuck in the mud. It kept them under the water. It could happen to anyone.
Editor to Staff: In a rush to be first breaking this story, don't worry about trivial details. Details such as, well, just about everything besides the sensational headline.
Wow..! Â Glad they're all OK... wonder what happened...guess we'll find out soon enough...
phwew, sounds like a very close call! I can't wait for details, but I guess I will anyway.
Nice headline. Â You can't save someone from nearly drowning, only drowning.
 @ScorchoÂ
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That's like planes involved in a near miss. Shouldn't that be a near hit.
 @RalphCramden  @Scorcho  Wouldn't a near miss be a hit?
 @RalphCramden  @Scorcho Some say potato.Â