Wis. Firefighters Rescue Kayaker Trapped Below Dam
Source The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
High water and a strong current just below the Lake Altoona dam has made it a treacherous spot for boating, a fact a kayaker learned the hard way Thursday morning.
Rescuers from Altoona, Eau Claire and Township fire departments pulled the man from the chilly Eau Claire River after he was separated from his kayak and became trapped in a water vortex.
"The current is really strong right now because of all the water coming out of the spillway," Altoona Public Safety Director James Small said.
Authorities had not released the kayaker's name as of late Thursday. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital after crews spent about 25 minutes rescuing him from the river.
A bystander reported the man in danger at 7:45 a.m. Emergency response workers first tried throwing a rope to the man, but he was unable to grasp it.
He was being pulled in a large circle by a vortex created by the strong current before being trapped against the dam, allowing firefighters to enter the water, pull the man to a boat and bring him to shore, where an ambulance was waiting.
"He was very fatigued from struggling in the high water," said Township Fire Department spokesman Mike Rudd.
Copyright 2012 - The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
