Sandrail helps deputies patrol dunes at Winchester Bay

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Story Published: Aug 3, 2007 at 7:44 AM PST

By Dan Bain

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Thousands of ATV riders, campers and other tourists are expected to descend on western Douglas County this weekend, and many already have, as the 2007 Dune Fest gets into full swing at Winchester Bay.

With thousands riding the dunes in their ATV's and motorcycles, it'll be a busy time for law enforcement to try to keep it safe for everybody.
To help with that, the Douglas County Sheriff's office has a new sandrail dune buggy that will allow them better access to remote areas of the dunes.

Sgt. Scott Fray says it'll help them in a lot of ways. "This gives us the ability to get anywhere on the sand dunes and be able to safely get people that are under arrest off the sand. Another advantage of it is that when our deputies are out patrolling and if there's an accident which there frequently is on the sand dunes as everybody knows we can respond quickly and if need be evacuate injured victims off to a roadway where a waiting ambulance can take them to a hospital."

The sandrail didn't cost taxpayers anything. A large portion is donated by a company called Fab-Tec from Auburn, Washington, owned by Steve and Patti Cluck.

Fray says the Dunefest presents some challenges for law enforcement with the huge crowds, but having the sandrail and the public safety building right by the staging area is a big advantage.
"We can respond in a faster manner. Of course our 4 wheelers can get places in a hurry but there's a lot of times that we need that extra seat or we need two guys to go so with a 4-seater sand rail we can do that."

Fray says it's the only law enforcement-dedicated sandrail in the state, and deputies say it'll be invaluable in dealing with emergencies, especially when there are large crowds on the dunes, as there will be this weekend with the biggest event of the year for the Reedsport-Winchester Bay area.

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