Firefighters rescued three kayakers who called for help after getting lost on the Big River on June 14, Hillsboro Fire Chief Brian Gaudet said.
Gaudet said the kayakers – two men and a woman – underestimated the amount of time it would take them to float from the Browns Ford Access in Dittmer to Morse Mill Access in the Hillsboro area. They called for help at 10:16 p.m.
“Crews arrived in the area at approximately 10:30 p.m. and began the initial search for the lost kayakers,” a written statement from Hillsboro Fire Protection District said. “Using enhanced 911 technology, Jefferson County 911 was able to ping their cell phone location on the river near the end of Pleasant View Drive, which runs off White Road and (Hwy. C). This information was relayed to responding crews and the drone was sent to Pleasant Valley Drive to start the search for the victims.”
First responders used a drone to help locate the kayakers on an island at the end of Pleasant View Drive and the responders determined they needed to use a boat to get to the kayakers, he said.
Gaudet said the nearest boat ramp was about 4 miles away at the Morse Mill Access. Hillsboro Fire personnel boarded their boat there about 11:25 p.m. and met up with the kayakers about 15 minutes later.
“Three victims were loaded into Hillsboro Fire’s boat and safely brought back to Morse Mill Access at (about 12:15 a.m. June 15),” he said in the statement.
No injuries were reported from the incident, he said. He said he did not know where the kayakers were from or their ages.
Gaudet said those intending to take the 19-mile float from Browns Ford Access to Morse Mille Access need to allow for plenty of time to complete the trip before nightfall.
“To complete a float in a single day and during the summer you need to average almost 1.5- to 2-miles per hour to make it back during daylight hours, if you put in early in the morning,” he said in the statement. “Ensure you bring a charged cell phone, plenty of drinking water, flashlights and any other supplies in case you get in any type of trouble while on the river.”
The Cedar Hill and De Soto Rural fire districts and Valle Ambulance assisted, he said.
“This complicated rescue was a team effort by all involved,” Gaudet said. “Trained professional boat operators, drone operators and water rescue technicians truly made this rescue a success. The Hillsboro Fire Protection District would like to thank the Jefferson County 911 Dispatch Center, the De Soto Rural Fire Protection District, the Cedar Hill Fire Protection District and the Valle Ambulance District for their assistance which assured a positive outcome to this incident.”