Fury as illegal motorboats cause huge wakes that capsize dragon boats with special needs paddlers on board

Dozens of dragon boat paddlers - including those with special needs - are being thrown overboard by illegal motorboaters creating huge waves on a Portland river.

Members of the Wasbai Burn Paddling Club have felt safe training on the Willamette River for decades, but lately it's been anything but calm, KGW 8 reported.

Motorboats are speeding through the river's no-wake zone, capsizing two of the club's boats and swamping another on July 20. Another dragon boat was overturned  on July 25.

'What they're doing now is illegal.' Coach Jim Hensvark told the local outlet, noting that one of the paddlers is non-verbal and others are legally blind. 

Catherine Suchowij, who is legally blind, was one of the paddlers thrown overboard on July 20, causing her to lose her shoes. 

'That is terrifying for anyone,' she said. 'But people who don't see well, it is especially scary.' 

Members of the Wasbai Burn Paddling Club have felt safe training on the Willamette River for decades, but lately it's been anything but calm as three of their boats capsized within five days 

Catherine Suchowij (left), who is legally blind, was one of the paddlers thrown overboard on July 20, causing her to lose her shoes. On July 25, Robin Allen (right) ended up underneath the boat when it capsized near the Ross Island Bridge

Others thrown overboard lost cell phones, wallets, keys when scofflaw boaters didn't listen to their pleas to 'slow down!' 

'I could hear them laughing,' Suchowij told KGW 8. 

On July 25, Robin Allen ended up underneath the boat when it capsized near the Ross Island Bridge.

'It could have hit me. One other guy had his head hit the other night,' she said. 

New rules for boaters introduced in 2021 by the City of Portland include year-round slow zones on three parts of the river, including from the Holgate Channel to the tip of the Ross Island Lagoon.

On the other side of the lagoon, there is a four-mile pass-through zone where boats are legally allowed to cruise without having to slow down.

'What they're doing now is illegal,' Coach Jim Hensvark said. The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office is aware that some boaters neglect to follow the no-wake zones

There is a year-round no-wake zone from the Holgate Channel to the tip of the Ross Island Lagoon

The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office is aware that some boaters neglect to follow the no-wake zones. Officials told KGW 8 that they are trying to enforce the rules so everyone can enjoy the area. 

'We're all trying to share a nice spot here,' Allen said. 'But we do have to go by rules and regulations.' 

On July 29, DragonSport USA said: 'Over 80 people have been placed in jeopardy as three of the boats capsized, ejecting paddlers into the Willamette and the fourth barely limped to shore.'