Sheriff discusses ATV safety

By Terry Murry on Wednesday, August 17th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

UKIAH – Umatilla County Sheriff Terry Rowan says every summer the Search and Rescue Team provide help for people injured in ATV accidents. That happened over the weekend when a woman suffered serious leg and hip injuries near Ukiah. He said there appear to be two main reasons behind ATV accidents in general.

“Not knowing the area and unsafe operation are probably the two danger-zone areas where people get into trouble,” Rowan said.

He advised caution when operating in new areas and stressed that it’s important to travel with either a buddy or a group.

“Make sure that your equipment is up to speed mechanically and have a plan,” he said.

Rowan said in this particular crash a communication device made a big difference. “There’s a component called an inReach,” he said. “The vendor that I’m most familiar with is Garmin. When you’re going up to those remote areas, you have that communication ability. It’s only via text message instead of a voice call.”