Lesson plan
Eldon Trinity
The Eldon Trinity is a fireboat operated in Portland, Oregon, United States, by the Portland Fire Bureau. She was launched in 2010. She is named after two children, Eldon and Trinity Smith, whose mother threw them off a bridge into Portland's Willamette River. Authorities recognized that the attempts to rescue the children exposed weaknesses in the city's rescue infrastructure. Eldon died, while his older sister Trinity survived. Bystanders drew the children from the water, but the Fire Bureau vessel sent to provide medical care, the powerful David Campbell, built in 1928, was slow to arrive, taking 44 minutes. The Eldon Trinity cost $400,000. Eight-year-old Trinity delivered a speech during the commissioning. In 2013 a floating boathouse was built to service and store the Eldon Trinity.
Article summary
The Eldon Trinity is a fireboat operated in Portland, Oregon, United States, by the Portland Fire Bureau. She was launched in 2010. She is named after two children, Eldon and Trinity Smith, whose mother threw them off a bridge into Portland's Willamette River. Authorities recognized that the attempts to rescue the children exposed weaknesses in the city's rescue infrastructure. Eldon died, while his older sister Trinity survived. Bystanders drew the children from the water, but the Fire Bureau vessel sent to provide medical care, the powerful David Campbell, built in 1928, was slow to arrive, taking 44 minutes. The Eldon Trinity cost $400,000. Eight-year-old Trinity delivered a speech during the commissioning. In 2013 a floating boathouse was built to service and store the Eldon Trinity.
Key claims
No claims recorded.
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
No sources recorded.
Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.