President’s wave of support: Screaming family are forced to jump from their sinking boat into Oregon river after 20-boat Trump flotilla sends water flooding into their tiny vessel
- 20 vessels zoomed south down Willamette River in President Trump boat parade
- A smaller boat on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon was filled with water
- Boaters were filmed screaming as their boat filled with water and started sinking
Terrified boaters screamed for help as their small boat was overcome with waves and sank after a Trump boat parade roared past.
The boat on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon was filled with water after more than 20 boats and personal watercraft flying President Trump flags zoomed south past them near downtown Portland.
The event was part of a planned ‘Trump Boat Parade’ which departed from Cathedral Park at 1pm on Sunday afternoon.
Trump flotillas – dubbed ‘Trumptillas’ – have been increasing around the country over the last few months as a way to rally for the president’s 2020 campaign while maintaining social distancing amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Terrified boaters screamed for help as their small boat (right) was overcome with waves and sank after a Trump boat parade roared past (left)
The pro-Trump parade disturbed the waters, causing the small boat to bob up and down and take on water.
The boat’s occupants began screaming for help as it became apparent that their vessel was about to sink.
The video shows how one man abandons the boat by jumping into the water while the others stay inside the vessel and grab onto their belongings until it sinks completely, forcing them to swim.
Nearby boaters race to help those in distress, who can be heard screaming in terror.
The others stay inside the vessel until it sinks completely, forcing them to swim (left). They are eventually helped onto the nearby boats as their vessel is seen almost completely submerged in the river water (right)
They are eventually helped onto the nearby boats as their vessel is seen almost completely submerged in the river water.
A spokesman for the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said river patrol deputies had responded to the incident but that the boaters had already been picked up by other nearby vessels by the time they arrived at the scene.
The agency confirmed that no one was injured and that the small boat had not been part of the Trump parade.
Trump supporters took to the water Saturday for a series of boat parade rallies held in various states. The Delware ‘Trumptilla’ is pictured here
It comes a day after thousands of Trump supporters flocked to their nearest bodies of water to take part in massive boat parades Saturday, with those in Florida trying to break a Guinness World Record while they were at it.
Trump flotillas – dubbed ‘Trumptillas’ – have been increasing around the country over the last few months as a way to rally for the president’s 2020 campaign while also practicing social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
On Saturday, large-scale flotillas popped up in Florida, New Jersey, Alabama and Delaware, drawing thousands of marine-friendly Trump supporters, as well as protesters.