“The shells are built for speed, not for maneuverability,” he said.

According to Todd, who was elsewhere on the river during the accident, the 64-foot-long carbon fiber shell became pinned against the bridge support after the collision, and broke up under the force of the water pressing it against the concrete support.

Todd said three crew members fell in the water as the shell began to break up. The people in the powered boat immediately brought them personal flotation devices and removed them from the water first.

The other six people on the shell were able to hang onto it. That is what they are taught to do, Todd said, in case of such an emergency.

“Luckily cool heads prevailed, and everybody did what they needed to,” he said.

Andrew Louden, a battalion chief with the Corvallis Fire Department, said Monday night that everyone was safely out of the water before any rescue crews were called to the scene.

According to a Benton County Sheriff’s Office news release, one crew member complained of slight head pain as the result of the incident.