3 recovering after nearly losing their lives in Sandy River

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - Three people are recovering today after nearly losing their lives on the Sandy river. The near drowning happened at Oxbow Park Thursday, not far from where another person had drowned the day before.

Police say a 12-year-old boy got swept away, and a man and a woman went in to rescue him but then they got into trouble.

Morgan Amber and Nikkiel Lefebre were in a parking lot 75 feet away when they heard screams for help. They came running and swam out to the man and woman who were at that point taking water into their lungs and drifting in and out of consciousness. It took incredible strength and endurance but both women made it to shore.

Lefebre is a nurse practitioner so knew how to help the man and woman clear the water from their lungs. She says the man expelled 3-5 liters of water. Lefebre noted, “I was really concerned that he might have second drowning syndrome which is when you have enough fluid in your lungs that even though you’re out of the water you still end up drowning.”

In the end, both the man and woman regained consciousness. Lefebre says, “he was very sweet the first words he said was God is good and I’m like yes he is!”

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