SEATTLE --
Two intoxicated men were rescued from Puget Sound after getting into trouble while kayaking from Bainbridge Island to Magnolia on a midnight trip, said the Seattle Police Department.
Firefighters at Seattle's Station 5 said the men were a few miles south of the West Point Lighthouse when a 28-year-old man went into the water. The other man, a 36-year-old man, called 911 at about 2 a.m. Friday.
Two fireboats and the Harbor Patrol went out to search for the men.
Once the two men were rescued from the water, both were transferred to the fireboat Leschi, which brought them in to Station 5.
One man was able to walk off the boat; the other was taken off on a stretcher. Video from KIRO 7 News crews showed a man on a stretcher wrapped in a blanket with a silver cap on his head.
Seattle Fire Department Battalion Chief Alan Cox talked about the effects of the ordeal on the two men.
"On a day like today, it's cold, they're wet, and we are treating them for hypothermia. Both of them are wrapped in space blankets with caps on as well," said Cox.
The two were transported to Harborview for evaluation and the 28-year-old man is being treated for hypothermia, but is expected to recover.
Police said the men had been watching the Texas-Alabama game on TV and having some beer, when around 8 p.m. they decided to go for a trip in the kayaks.
When they were rescued the men were dressed in street clothes and not wet suits, but had been wearing life preservers.
Police said the 28-year-old man was clinging to the kayaks hull and was in the water for about 45 minutes before being rescued.
Once rescued, officers said they could smell a strong odor of beer coming from the two men.
WATCH IT: Rescuers Bring Kayakers To ShoreCopyright 2010 by KIROTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
