Justin Daniel Brudvig, a 26-year-old Oregon City man, drowned on July 18, while paddleboarding without a life jacket on the Willamette River near Black Canyon Campground outside Oakridge.

His death was the second drowning on the Willamette in a single week, according to a Register-Guard report published by reporter Haleigh Kochanski.

Authorities have not publicly identified the earlier victim or released details about that incident.

Brudvig was not wearing a life jacket when he entered the water.

Black Canyon Campground sits roughly 45 miles southeast of Eugene, well upstream from the stretch of the Willamette that flows through Oregon City past Willamette Falls and north through West Linn and Lake Oswego.

The local connection is Brudvig himself: an Oregon City resident who died on the same river where neighbors swim, fish, and paddle throughout the summer.

Authorities urge life jackets for all

In response to the back-to-back fatalities, authorities issued a direct warning to anyone heading to rivers and lakes: wear a properly fitted life jacket, avoid alcohol on or near the water, and never swim alone.

Oregon law requires children 12 and under to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket aboard any watercraft.

Adults must have an approved jacket accessible on board but are not legally required to wear one.

Safety advocates have long urged paddleboarders and kayakers to wear jackets at all times, since falls into cold river water can incapacitate even strong swimmers within minutes.

Summer heat driving more people to the water

Temperatures in Oregon City reached 95 degrees on July 21, with forecasts calling for similar heat through midweek.

Hot conditions push more residents toward the Willamette, Oswego Lake, and local swimming holes, increasing exposure to the risks that killed Brudvig.

Paddleboarding has surged in popularity across Clackamas County in recent years, and the Willamette between Oregon City and Lake Oswego draws steady recreational traffic from spring through early fall.

Unlike enclosed kayaks or canoes, stand-up paddleboards offer no barrier between the rider and the water, making a life jacket the only protection against a sudden fall.

No memorial or public safety event related to Brudvig's death has been announced as of July 21.